


Blind Rebellion

by itz_blitz_tyme



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adult Content, Angst and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, Dysfunctional Family, Epic Friendship, F/M, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Gen, Hostage Situations, Inappropriate Humor, Mild Language, Strong Female Characters, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-13
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-02-21 02:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 55,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2450489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itz_blitz_tyme/pseuds/itz_blitz_tyme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever still the rebel, Raphael breaks the rules and makes a new friend out of a soft hearted, highly abused girl who also so happens to be blind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. *~*Chapter One*~*

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of Mike Bay's TMNT (2014) version-

The room was full of smoke, choking her lungs as she stayed as low as she could. She could feel the heat of the flames closing in on her and he unseeing eyes burned from ashes that flared all around her.

"Momma! Papa! Help me!" She could only cry as she curled in the corner, her hands reaching out a few times only to yank them back as she felt the flames lick at her. She felt tears streaming down her face as fear coursed through her. "Momma! Papa! Wh-where are you!?" She coughed between shouts.

The roaring flames made it difficult for any replies to reach her. She couldn't hear anything but that.

Suddenly there was a crash of smashing glass, making her jump and she felt some rain down on her. She heard wood breaking and groaning. She heard the door to her room slam against the wall and a shout of pain and fear finally reached her ears.

"El-Elena! Where are you?! Elena!" She finally heard her father yelling over the roaring sound.

Her head snapped up towards her father's voice and she rose to her knees. "Papa! Papa!" She cried, hands reaching out, only to yank back from the flaring pain of heat probably only a few feet from her. She cringed deeper into the corner of the burning room.

"Elena! Don't move! I see you! Honey, for god's sake, do not move!" Her father cried to her.

She nodded weakly, darkened eyes searching for what she knew she couldn't see. "Wh-where is Momma?! Wh-what happened?! Why is our home on fire?!" She cried fearfully.

"Mommy's right here, honey!" She heard her mother call. "Now isn't the time to discuss it! You need to stay right there! There are firemen coming to you!"

"Bu-but what about you?!" She cried fear in her voice.

"We will be fine, Baby! We will just fine! No matter what happens, we will be together again! We love you so much, honey! Always, always remember that! But you just need to stay right there!" Her father called, his voice breaking weakly.

A lie. She knew it was a lie. Her father was a terrible liar.

"Papa!" She cried shakily before she heard breaking glass and felt heavy gloved hands grab her. She screamed and started sobbing and crying for her mother and father as she was dragged out into a high basket of a fire truck.

A few moments later, she heard the dreaded sound of the building collapsing. And she screamed, knowing her parents were still inside.

And then Eleanor Harker woke up.

Gasping and sobbing at once, Eleanor, who went by Elena, sat up, clutching her worn sheets. She saw only darkness, which was normal for her. It had been since she could remember, having lost her sight when she was a baby. But she remembered those dreams, could almost see them in her mind's eyes. She remembered the feeling of the flames burning her skin, remembered those horrific screams. It was a nightmare she relived every few weeks, months if she was lucky.

But to dream that horrible dream of her parents' death in a terrible fire, she hated it.

At nine years of age, nine years ago, Elena had lost both of her parents, Adam and Jeanette Harker, leaving her orphaned and living with a not so nice uncle, Vincent Harker. And being blind to top it all made her life even more miserable.

For seven years, Elena lived with her uncle, who mostly ignored her unless she did something he didn't like. For seven years she was forced to go to a Boarding School and now that she was eighteen and graduated from school, she lived in a ratty apartment in New York City. Yet, even as she was graduated with Honors, she had a crappy job as a telemarketer and she had to go to Night School, even if it was for a couple hours.

Not very many jobs out there would hire a blind girl and her uncle refused to help her pay for the real college she wanted to go to. He told her she had to earn her own income to pay for College.

Elena sighed as she rubbed at her darkened but weary eyes as she shifted her bed sheets and reached blindly for her clock she kept on the bed side table to see the time. She had bought one of the clocks that read out the time with a push of a button, due to her disability. And those things didn't come cheap.

"The time is, three oh nine." The electronic voice rang out for her.

Grimacing, Elena knew it was time to get up, even though she had only ten minutes longer before her alarm went off. She had work at five and it took a little bit of a walk to get to the bus stop as it was, as well as beating the city traffic.

Climbing out of bed, she began moving about, now knowing every inch of her apartment after living there for half a year. She had made sure to memorize it all so she didn't bump into anything. The first week in her apartment had been a nightmare for that.

Elena Harker, age 18, soon to be 19, was a pretty girl, as everyone always told her. She didn't know her own face, other than what she felt with her own hands but she had plenty of people tell her she was pretty, for a blind girl. She had short blonde hair, which she kept short for easier handling. Her eyes were a deep blue but with a hint of milky white which stated her obvious blindness. She had a good frame, slender and yet curved in all of the right places. She knew she was at least 5'6", according to her usual doctor.

Though she was blind, she did amaze people with her skills as a violinist. She had been playing the violin since she was very young and it was not common for many to know a blind violinist. She was very good at it and did want to make a career out of it.

The problem was, not many musical talent agencies would give her a chance because of her blindness. Elena hated to admit it but she sometimes had to, her life was not an easy one for her. She did have few friends but not many. Mostly they were her coworkers. But she was sure they were just sympathetic towards her and that was why they were friends with her.

It wasn't long before she was stepping out of her apartment complex and onto a busy sidewalk with her four foot long blind stick in hand, tapping it against the ground as she began walking.

Though, even as she walked down the side walk, what she didn't know was she was being followed.

As soon as Elena arrived at work, T. C' s Telemarketing she was assaulted with the sounds of many voices of her coworkers making the annoying calls and typing at their computers. She merely smiled faintly as she tapped the ground with her blind stick, making her way to her booth where she worked.

"Elena, five feet ahead, mail cart." Someone spoke up with a thick Brooklyn-ish accent as she heard approaching feet.

Elena stopped when she felt her stick tap against something. She smiled, turning her head towards the one who spoke.

One of her few real friends, Casey, was the type of guy who did not give sympathy when it was not wanted but he treated her respectfully enough. He was older than her by a good ten years. And while Elena had never seen his face with her own eyes, she knew his description well. He had been one of the few people who had let her feel his face to imprint his image into her memory.

He was 29 years old, roguishly good looking, if not a little gruff. He did have a strong chiseled face with high cheek bones. His ginger brown hair was long enough to pull back into a pony tail, which was how he mostly wore it. He was a good deal taller than Elena by several inches, at 5'10". His eyes were dark brown and always full of mischievousness, though Elena never saw it. She picked it up in his energetic ways, though. She could almost feel his emotions very easily when he was around her. And he always had the hint of a trickster.

"Morning, Lovely. How's the night classes treating ya?" Casey asked as he sidled up to her and lightly touched her arm to let her know he was there.

Elena smiled in his direction but shook her head. "Honestly, not bad. It is kind of difficult but not too terrible. I put in a few good hours last night. Finals will be coming up soon." She told him as she felt him starting to guide her around the obstacle in her path.

"Yeah? What time did you finally pull your nose away from that computer?" Casey asked humorously.

Grimacing, Elena truly didn't want to answer that. She knew fairly well that Casey didn't like the idea of her being out so late on the streets of New York. He always offered to walk her home, always willing to go out of his way to make sure she arrived safely and didn't have trouble. But she didn't want to be a bother to him.

"Let me guess." Casey said now seriously. "Five A.M?"

Elena scowled in his direction, now pinching his arm lightly. "You followed me home again, didn't you?" She asked frowning.

Casey shrugged at her side. "Okay, okay. I won't deny it. I did. I wanted to make sure you got home okay. Your part of town is dangerous, Elena. For anyone. And I don't to see you getting hurt." He told her.

Elena rolled her unseeing eyes but smiled. She knew that her neighborhood wasn't safe. No part of New York City is safe anymore. Not these days. And for someone blind, especially a woman like her, it was downright dangerous. "Thanks for looking out for me, Casey. But I will be fine. I haven't had trouble." She told him.

"The keyword is yet." Casey said blankly.

And Elena smacked his arm, a light laugh escaping her. She knew she should take him seriously but she honestly couldn't see why anyone would want to bug a blind girl like her.

TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT

Far below the streets of New York, in the somewhat dank and dark sewers, another person was getting a concerned lecture on nightly outings.

While not many people knew what was hidden below their very feet, a certain reporter did know the most hidden secret of New York. She did her best to make sure that no one found out about them but it just didn't help that a certain hothead Ninja just couldn't help himself.

"Raph! What happened last night?! You sent five guys to the hospital with numerous fractures all over their bodies!" April O'Neal said too excited and not in a good way.

Sending the gorgeous dark haired woman a look, the nearly 6'3" creature shook his head as he ate a slice of hot pepperoni pizza she tended to bring him and his brothers all of the time, since it was their favorite food.

"Don't start, April. They were stalking human girls for weeks. And I wasn' about to let them get away with jumping that one last night." Raphael grumbled as he chewed a mouthful.

The other occupants of the room, minus one, who was too enthralled with the comic books April started bringing for him, all scowled.

"Raph, we have to be careful. You know what would happen if our secret was blown."

"Oh, shut it, Leo! I was doing what we promised we would do! Protecting citizens! So what if a couple of jerk offs got roughed up! It ain't like they saw me!" Raphael, the red wearing, 6'3" mutant, talking, humanoid turtle scowled right back to his slightly smaller brother.

April unfolded the newspaper she held in her hand and slapped it down right in front of Raphael. "Oh, that's where you're wrong, Raph! One of the guys you beat up swears he saw a giant of a karate guy dressed up in a turtle costume throw him into a bunch of trash cans." She said before jabbing the paper to show the article.

"They were all drunk, April! Like anybody would believe them anyway!" Raphael shot back.

"Raphael." came the serious speaking voice of the oldest occupant.

Unlike Raphael and his three brothers, this one was a large, mutant rat. He was grizzled gray and brown from his age now and unlike his adopted sons he took care of since they became mutations, he wore clothes. He wore a somewhat raggy Chinese outfit, a fukata; a blue Chinese robe like shirt and worn brown trousers that emitted a long whip like tail from a slit behind.

Raphael huffed in irritation but respectfully stood up to face his master and father. "Yes, Master Splinter?" He asked lowly.

Splinter looked at him with his dark eyes, rather sternly. "You must show more restraint and control in yourself. The fact that one was able to see you or even tell others is concerning. You must not go too extreme when you are patrolling the city. And you must not go alone anymore." He said firmly. "The city is not ready for our revealing if ever. Only April O'Neal and her colleague, Vernon must know of us."

Blowing out a huff again but nodding, Raphael stood up straight and then bowed in respect to him. "All right, I will." He said gruffly before turning and starting to leave.

"Raph, where are you going?" Leonardo asked still irritated with his brother.

Raphael growled shooting him a look. "I am going to check out the south end, is that okay with you?" He shot before leaving before anyone could stop him.

Sighing, a few heads shook in irritation.

"Man, we have got to work on his people skills." It was Donatello who spoke up as he went to his collection of computers and began working again. He made sure to pull up a security screen that showed Raphael stomping down the sewer tunnels.

"What are we going to do about him? Why is he being like that?" April asked sighing and folding her arms.

Michelangelo snorted from where he was reading a comic about the Avengers. "Raph is always like that, beautiful. I think he's just bored because we haven't see any Foot around since we tossed Armored Ugly off that tower months ago. We all are." He said before grinning. "Man, this Captain guy is pretty lame! I think I like the Iron Man guy more! He at least has a sense of humor!"

Everyone rolled their eyes as they watched Mikey dig into to more pizza and reading.

"I don't see the whole big deal! So I beat up some guys! And one saw me!" Raphael grumbled to himself as he kicked some can across the dirty sewer ground.

He was so angry about getting a lecture about the whole thing. He was just trying to keep a bunch of guys attacking girls. There had been a rise in that kind of crime lately. He didn't like it when he heard about stuff like that.

True, he knew he should have been more careful with......

Suddenly something dropped down from behind him and clattered against the ground and years of training sent him on edge, turning with a jerk and whipping his Psis for any sign of trouble.

"Oh no! You have got to be kidding me!" He heard a girl's voice from a high grate just above.

"Hey, asshole! Watch where you're going?! Can't ya see she was walking there?!" A man's voice snapped, slightly muffled from the thick concrete. "Hey, ya okay?"

"Yes but I dropped my stick! I think it went down into the sewers!" The girl's voice rang out, now directly into the grate. She was obviously trying to peer down into the sewers to find whatever she lost.

Frowning, Raphael quietly went over to what fell and found a long stick with a leather strap in one end. He stared at it for a moment then looked back up to see a silhouette of someone on top of the grate, moving their hands around as if searching for something. He could see that it was a girl and she looked frustrated as she searched frantically all over the grate.

"Ugh!" The girl whined softly as she pushed her fingers into the grate as if trying to reach for the stick. "Maaaan, I just replaced my old blind stick too! After that last one broke because of those guys on the bus!"

"I don't think you're going to get it back, Elena. Those sewer drains are pretty deep and unless we can get a city worker over here, it's lost." The man's voice rang out. It sounded like he was just behind the girl, out of view.

The girl sighed heavily and in defeat. "But I need my blind stick! We can't just put off lunch just to get to the store to buy another one. How am I going to get home tonight? And I am not about to ask you to lead me around just because I flipping useless being blind!" She exclaimed in frustration.

"Dude, Elena! You are not useless! Quit putting yourself down like that! And I don't have a problem taking you home after work." The man spoke again.

Raphael frowned as he listened to the conversation before he bent down and picked up the stick. He turned his yellowish green eyes up, seeing the girl still checking the grate openings before lifting it up towards her searching fingers. He made sure the strap was facing upward so her fingers could feel them. And sure enough, the girl's fingers brushed against the strap and her face obviously lit up as she scrambled for the strap.

"Hey! I got it! It must have caught onto something!" She said happily now carefully lifting up the stick right out of Raph's hand.

"What?! Seriously?! Talking about lucky!" The man said sounding amused as she pulled it carefully up and out of the grate.

Raphael watched the girl pull it out then check the stick over with just her hands. He didn't know too much about blind humans but it was obvious that she was really reliant on that stick.

Shrugging to himself, the mutant turtle listened to the girl breath in relief as she found nothing wrong with her blind stick before he turned and kept walking on. He did feel slightly better with himself as he wandered on to make his checks. He wasn't so angry now that he helped someone who seemed to really need it. Even if it was just one simple thing like that.


	2. Chapter Two

It had been a long day of working, taking calls and now it was time to head off to night school.

Elena finished her last call, grabbed her blind stick that she almost lost during lunch break. She had nearly had a heart attack when some asshole shoved past her on the way to lunch with Casey. He had knocked into her, making her lose on her blind stick and drop it down the drain grates. She was just so glad it had caught on something and she managed to pull it out.

It was pure luck, honestly. She didn't know what she would do if she lost her blind stick. She knew Casey would have taken her home but she really did not like the idea of herself being helpless and depending on others.

Though it was a little strange. She could have swore she had heard heavy foot steps down in the sewer while pulling up her blind stick. She could have sworn someone had been down in the sewer.

But not one to dwell too much on it, Elena baded Casey a good night since he was pulling a double shift and wasn't happy he couldn't take an extra lunch to take her to the bus stop to make sure she safely got on to get to school.

Making her way outside her building, Elena tapped her blind stick against the ground as she stepped out onto the sidewalk, grimacing when she heard the sound of it being crowded. She hated it when there were too many people she had to push through. It was always so disoritating when there were.

"Excuse me." She said to a few people as she walked, accidentally tapping a few feet and getting rude comments from annoyed pedestrians. She sighed to herself at some of the comments she got but mostly was grateful when she felt some of the crowd split to let her have her own room.

And that was when she felt something small fall on her shoulder, making her flinch as she jerked her head upward on reaction.

Frowning, she wondered what it had been before tapping her stick for what fell until she felt something loose.

"Excuse me, anyone." She said to anyone around her and wasignored by all but one.

It was honestly just a prostitute that had been passing by that decided to answer.

"Yeah, honey? Need something?" The scantily dressed woman asked when she stopped.

Elena tapped her stick on top of what had fell on her before pointing down. "This fell on me as I was walking. Can you tell me what it is?" She asked innocently.

The prostitute looked down at what the blind stick was on top of before looking upward, away from the blind girl. "It's just a piece of plaster stone. Probably fell from one of these pieces of shit roof tops. I swear, New York buildings are always falling apart around here. It didn't hurt you, did it, sweetie?" The heavily made up woman asked.

Elena shook her head smiling as she started moving away again. "No, thank you. I was just wondering. Can you tell me how far away I am from the bus stop right now?" She asked, grateful that one of New York's considered scummy was being nice to her. It just proved that not all was what it seemed about the city.

"Twenty feet in front of you, honey. Have a nice night, all right? New York City is a terrible place for such a girl like yourself." The woman said warmly beforeturning and going on.

Elena just nodded before she blindly glanced upward before making her way towards the bus stop. She just hoped she hadn"t missed the bus yet.

High above the side walk, someone was getting scolded terribly.

"Mikey, I warned you that ledge was unstable! Watch where you are going!" Leonardo scowled at the youngest brother as they stood in the dark shadows of the roof tops.

"Yeesh, sorry, bro! It isn't like I meant to misstep, all right?" The orange bandanna wearing Mutant Turtle pouted as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

Leonardo rolled his eyes before looking over at Raphael and Donatello as they peered downward at the streets of New York. "Did that loose ledge hit anyone?" He asked, seriously.

Donatello shook his head and shrugged as he looked back from under his round glasses. "Just some human girl. But no problems. It was small enough to not hurt anyone. She seemed to just brush it off and walk on." He answered before stepping down off the ledge.

Raphael, however, frowned as he remained crouched on the roof ledge, eyes following the girl the piece had landed on. He saw the strange stick in her hand, tapping against the ground and his memory went back to what happened before. "No way it's the same girl." He muttered quietly to himself.

"What was that, Raph?" Leonardo asked having heard him briefly but not clearly.

Glancing at his brother, Raphael shook his head before stepping down from the ledge. "Nothing. So we gonna do this or not? Because if not, I'm gonna to go off on my own again." He said gruffly.

Leonardo scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief of his brother. He couldn't believe his impatience. "Okay. Let's test out these com mikes Donny built. Go only three blocks away. No farther, Raph!" He stretched out the name.

Raphael rolled his eyes as he fixed the com mike strapped on his red bandana before leaping into action, running across the roof top while the others did the same in different directions.

Moving as far three blocks away, he finally came to a stop on another roof top and stopped there.

Waiting for the que, Raphael sat down on his haunches and looked down at the area he was in. He was near a school, from what he could tell. He saw a sign that read Institute of Audio Research and wondered what it would have been like to be normal so he could wander the halls of a school.

Most of the time, he and his brothers had taken schooling from Splinter. His father and mentor had taught them how to read and write, though he didn't spend too much dwelling on it. It was mostly Donny and Leo who did. Mikey always goofed off as it was and he just didn't care for it.

Until recently, April started tutoring the Turtles on simple stuff like math, which Raph really didn't care for.

"Excuse me!" Someone shouted angrily and Raph jerked his head, expecting someone had been talking to him. He was ready to bolt if that was the case.

But so far, the shout had come from below on the campus. He nearly jerked in surprise to see that girl again, the one from three blocks away. The blind one.

"You have got to be kidding me." Raphael muttered, somewhat bewildered.

She was getting off the bus again and it seeed some guy was too impatient on getting off that he nearly bowled her over. She was bending down very carefully to pick up her back that had been dumped because of him. She seemed to be having a difficult time trying to find all of her writing utencils and her books while people were just walking around her and ignoring her.

Well.......except a couple of guys who laughed at her and one had the nerve to kick her blind stick away, earning a frustrated scowl from the sightless girl.

"Asshole!" The girl snapped as the guy and his friends took off and she began frantically for her stick now.

Raphael heard himself growl as he sat down on the roof top and watched the girl moving her hands back and forth, looking for her stick. He hated that. What kind of person would be as cruel to a girl who couldn't see?

It was a few minutes later did everyone leave that poor girl just searching for her blind stick and no one helped her. They just left her there.

Scowling, Raphael took a look around to see if anyone would help her at all but the campus was now deserted with the exception of the blind girl. That was just pathetic of humans, not helping one of their own when they needed it.

"Come on." He could hear the girl whine softly as she kept crawling on the ground, searching for her blind stick. "I am going to be late." And a frustrated choking sob threatened to escape.

Huffing, Raph looked around again, saw no one. He didn't even see on campus security. Or any cameras. He grimaced before he slowly started climbing down from the roof, keeping an eye out for anyone. He knew he would get into trouble if he got caught but there was no way he was leaving that girl to be helpless.

It wasn't like she could see him, anyway.

Keeping a look out, the Mutant turtle swiftly walked across the deserted road to where the girl was and glanced off to the side where her blind stick was. He saw her stiffen as if he heard his heavy foot steps but chose not to let it bother him.

Even when she tirned her blank eyes right towards him.

"Hel-hello? Is someone there?"

Raphael slowed his foot falls, staring right at her before he slowly made his way over, picking up the stick as he approached. "Uh....hi. need help?" He asked cautiously.

Relief seemed to flood across the girl's face before she nodded and began looking with her hands for her stick. "Yes, please! I am blind and I can't find my blind stick! Please, can you see it?" She asked sounding frantic.

"Uh, yeah. I saw what happened. Some punk jerk kicked it from you, right? Here. I got it." He said now holding it out towards her, making sure to keep a good distance away from her.

The girl looked even more relieved if it were possible. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" She said brightly as she reached out and took the stick, handle first from him before using it to push herself up and grimacing as she turned her head this way and that. "Okay, where did I put my bag?" She added more to herself.

Raphael glanced over to her bag several feet away from them before walking over to it. "Here. Let me grab that for ya." He said as he scooped up the rest of the books that had fallen out. He dumped them back in and stood facing the girl, who smiled at him.

Her hand reaching out, the girl nodded her thanks. "Again, thank you for me. It seems that city does still have life after all." She said holding out her hand.

Raphael couldn't help but snort at that light joke as he carefully put the bag strap in her hand and watched her swing it over her back. "Yeah, sometimes I wonder about that too." He remarked.

"My name is Elena Harker. Well, Eleanor but I prefer Elena." The girl said holding out her now freed hand.

Raphael stepped back, grimacing as he glanced at her hand. He knew fairly well that if he shook her hand she would know something was weird about him. "Uh....sorry. But I don't really shake hands." He told her, folding his arms to keep himself from temptation of shaking hands either way.

"Oh. Oh, I am sorry." Elena said drawing back her hand but still smiling, not at all offended. "Will you at least tell me your name?"

Raphael grimaced again, glancing around just to make sure no one was around. He still didn't see anyone, thankfully. "Uh......sure. I guess. It's Raphael. Raph for short, I guess." He said somewhat feeling sheepish.

Elena paused taking in the name before she slowly smiled. "Raphael. Like one of the greatest artists of history. You really don't hear names like that any more." She said still smiling.

"Problem with my name?" Raph asked raising what would be an eyebrow if he had any.

Elena blinked her unseen eyes, looking startled before quickly shaking her head. "Oh no! Not at all. I actually like your name! I didn"t mean anything by it. I was just saying." She said grimacing apologetically.

Raphael again huffed but couldn't keep a slight smile from breaking out on his face. "Don't sweat it. I get it sometimes. Aren't you headed somewhere?" He asked as he glanced around again and still found no one.

"Oh, crap. I bet I'm late." Elena groaned as she tapped a watch she had on her wrist and surprisingly, a small voice said, "12:45 am." She grimaced but forced a smile towards Rahael, who no longer was there. Due to the fact that someone was finally coming towards her. "Thank you so much, Raphael. It was nice meeting you. Have a good night." She said to no one before turning and tapping her stick as she walked until she found her way towards the building.

Still having heard from his returned position on the roof, Raphael nodded as he watched the blind girl go. "Yeah, you too." He murmured before looking at the group of guys he had heard and briefly saw coming before he booked it quick.

There were three of them, all older than that girl, Elena. They were just laughing and joking around with another before one nudged the other two and pointed. "Hey, it's that blind girl we keep seeing around here! What about her, Jace?"

Raphael frowned as he glanced in Elena's direction, seeing her heading up the stairs where people were coming out.

"Yeah, she will do. We will get her when she comes out again. What time was that? 3:30?" The one called Jace asked and his fellow guys nodded. "Kay. We'll wait for her then snatch her and take her to the look out. Better yet, she won't even be able to tell the cops who we are." He laughed cruelly with his friends.

High above them, a green, three fingered fist balled up tightly until strong bones cracked angrily and yellow green eyes narrowed dangerously while a growl emitted from the mutant turtle.

'Raph, for crying out loud, will you answer?! Donny, are you sure he is in range?!' He heard his brother's voice crackle through the com mike on his bandana.

Raphael merely tilted his head before reaching up to cup the mike. "I'm here, Leo. Cool your shell." He growled still glaring down at the three.guys that were moving towards the building.

'It's about time! Where are you?! You moved too far out of range! We been trying to get a hold of you forever now!' Leo called through. 'We need to regroup and head back home.'

Raphael paused, watching the three guys head inside, where he knew he couldn't follow. He growled softly before cupping the mike again. "Yeah,about that. Change of plans, Leo. I am gonna stay out a little later tonight. Check things out. I got better things to do than get lectured again by you." He said before plucking the transmitter off of his bandanna.

'What?! Raph! Don't even think about......!' Leo was yelling into the mike before the red wearing turtle turned offthe mike.

"Sorry, bro. But I got something to do first before heading home." Raphael added to no one before settling on the roof to wait. He was not going to move until he dealt with those guys who dared to plan to hurt some defenseless blind girl.

Yeah, over his dead shell.


	3. Chapter Three

Tired, worn out and so ready to just crash into her bed when she got home, Elena made her way out of her class room, tapping her blind stick as she went. She was so worn out. It was just so good she had the day off for work the next day. She didn't think she could work with her brain so foggy.

Stifling a yawn and failing, the young woman made her way out of her school building, listening to the others as they also yawned and groaned about how tired they were. She could only smile and shake her head as she made her way down the path way that would lead to the bus stop.

"Excuse me, lovely. Do you have the time?"

Elena turned her head in the direction she heard the voice before gasping in alarm when arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her forward to keep walking. "Hey! What the hell....?!" She started before freezing when she felt something sharp poke her side.

"Say a word and this knife goes right into you, got that?" A voice of a man hissed into her ear.

Fear swelled up in her chest as Elena found herself walking in whatever direction this guy, no. Guys were taking her. She could hear three voices around her. One had even snatched her blind stick out of her hand as the other two were guiding her down the side walk. She could feel the sharp blade digging into her shirt, ready to sink into her if she made a sound.

"Jeezus, girl. Relax. Put a smile on your face." The other guy not holding the blade said. "Now."

Elena was terrified of what to do. She didn't know these men or what they wanted with her. She tried to smile when she felt the men's arms tighten painfully around her but she was sure it was obvious she was afraid. She could already feel herself trembling.

Where were these men taking her?

"The car is just down the road. We are going to go for a ride and then have some fun." The man with the blade said before shifting. "Hey, Jay. Get the keys out. Get rid of that stick. She ain't going to need it any more."

"Got it. I'll just put it in this alley. Hold on a second." The man from behind said sounding like he was moving away.

"Wh-what do you......?" Elena started to ask before gasping softly when she felt the knife poking harder into her side.

"Didn't I say not to say anything, little bit.......?" The man with the knife was saying.

"Erk!"

All three; Elena and the two men on either side of her, stiffened and halted with a jerk. The men both turned, yanking her with them to face back the way they had come.

"Hey! What are you doing back there?! Where did you go, Jay?!" The man with the knife was calling. "Em, go find out what that idiot is doing?"

"Why me?! Why not you?!" The other man argued.

"Just go do it, all right?! I got her!" The Knife man snapped now pulling Elena closer to him and shoving the other one away.

"Hey! Fine! I'll go!"

Elena stood there, trembling in the man's arms, still feeling the knife digging into her side. She listened hard, just wondering what the hell was going on. She listened to the decending foot steps before hearing the other man, Em calling for their friend, Jay. They were obviously nicknames and not their full names. They didn't want her.....

"Whoa! Uh, Jace! You better come see this!" The man further away from them called.

"Goddammit! Don't say my name, idiot! Now we're going to have to get rid of her!" The man with the knife snapped now dragging Elena with him back the way they had come before stopping.

Whatever the men were seeing, however, Elena felt them both tense up.

"What the hell?! What happened to Jay?! Why is he strung up like a fu.......?!" The man, Jace was saying before he jumped, ltting go of the blind girl and knocking her to the ground. "Oh, my god! What the heeeeeellllll?!" He cried out before there was a scuffle and then a loud "Oooomf!" as if he had been knocked to the ground.

Then there was the sound of something sliding across the concrete.ground before a loud bang.

"Holy shit! What the hell was that?!" The man, Em, was yelling before he too cried out as there came another bang and then another cry.

And then what sounded like a garbage lid slamming shut. There was muffled cries of alarm and banging as if someone or someone's were inside a large trash container, trying to get out.

That was the only sounds Elena could hear before there came a series of loud bangs as if someone was drumming on a trash lid.

"Heh! See how you like it, jerks!" Came a somewhat familiar voice before the sound of shifting feet on dirty ground.

Elena was just sitting there, eyes wide open, yet not seeing. She just listened hard, heart thumping hard against her chest as she listened to what had happened. She knewthat voice, though and it made her frown in fright yet somewhat hopeful. "He-hey.....is that......? Is that you, Raphael?"

Raphael turned from where he had been somewhat drumming on the large green trash compactor wherehe'd thrown all three guys into and sealed it shut with an iron bar on the lid. It was definitely going to be hard for them to getting out without help.

He had dealt with the first one when he even came into the alley to get rid of the blind stick. It had been simple.

Watching what the guys did from the roof top, grabbing Elena and forcing her to go with them. He had seen the knife, of course and he fought himself to jump down right there, just to scare the cretins off. But that would have risked the girl getting hurt.

So, he waited in the aley, planning on making some kind of noise to get them to come investigate. But it turned out for the best when one of them went to stash the blind stick.

A simple grab from the darkness, a conk on the head with his Psi and knocking him out before using rope wire to tie him up and string him right up above the open dumpster.

The othher two took more stealth like proceedures than the first. Using their pal as a distraction, a little grappling hook around an ankle and yanking him to the darkness before throwing him and the other guy into the dumpster where he trapped them.

And he didn't even have to let them see him.

The large mutant turned to look at the girl still trembling on the ground before he cautiously approached her, though not stepping onto the streets just yet. He glanced from one side of the road to the other and found it deserted. No one had seen or heard what happened. And they certainly hadn't seen him.

"Hey." The mutant finally said in greeting as he looked back at Elena. "Ya okay? Ya know, we got to stop meeting like this, you needing help and all." He said with humor.

Elena was stunned as se just sat there, not believing any of this. She had been rescued by the same guy from before. And she never felt so relieved in her life to hear that stranger's voice. "Raph?" She asked still stunned.

Raphael hummed as he folded his large brawny arms and shook his haf. "Yeah, it's me. Ya hurt?" He asked looking her over.

Elena breathed out the breath she realized she was holding before smiling up at him. "No, I'm okay. Just shakened up. What are you doing here? I thought you left." She said now sitting up and shifting herself, hand searching for anything that might help her steady herself.  
Raphael shrugged again before looking at the blind stick at his feet. "Hung aroynd. Had nothing better to do so why not make sure you got out of there without any problems." He answered as he bent down to pick it up only to halt and hiss in embarrassment or something of the sort. "Oh, shell." He muttered as he lifted up the now broken in half blind stick.

It must have broken when he grabbed Idiot #1.

And it didn't help that the splintered middle of the stick snapped and one half fell to the ground.

Elena stiffened at the sound and she turned her attention towards it. "Was that my.......?" She asked horror now dawning in her voice. She groaned now slumping her shoulders. "Please tell me that is my blind stick. But it didn't break."

Raphael grimaced, holding up one half to look at the splinters. There was no fixing it, that was for sure. "Uh.....yeah. Um....you don't happen to have a spare, do you? Cause I don' think you're gonna like this." He stated.

Elena sighed, her head hanging low before she turned and frantically searched for the wall with her hand. She hissed when her hand landed on sharp metal, threatening to cut her if she didn't take it back immediately. "Oh, man. I just bought that too. I have spare at home but......how am I suppose to......?"

And the sound of an engine approached, making her gasp nd whirl around just as the large us drove right on by.

"Oh, no! That was the last one until the 5:55 bus comes." Elena sighed, head lowering and she drooped even lower. "Oh, how am I suppose to get home now?" She groaned, placing her hands over her face.

Having retreated back into the shadows when the bus drove by, Raphael grimaced for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. "Ya live like what, three blocks down, right?" He asked now looking from one way to the other on the streets.

"Try eight blocks. That is a lot of walking and now because of my blind stick being destroyed, there is no way I can just walk home." Elena groaned now sitting back and drawing her knees close to her chest. "Do you have a phone? I guess I should just call my friend, Casey. Wait......no. I can't do that. He lives like on the other side of the Main Boluvard. Damn it." She muttered, her unseen eyes now watering.

Huffing, Raphael threw his hands up into the air, tossing the stick away in the process and not caring. He knew he was so going to get it for this. "Damn it." He grumbled before looking around and finding some scrap of cloth. He made a face but picked it up and wrapped it around his arm. "All right. Where do you live?" He asked wearily as he tied the fabric around his arm.

Elena looked surprised as she turned her face towards him. "Huh?! Wai-wait.....you will take me home?" She asked surprised.

"Yeah, unless you wanna wait here for someone else to come along. But I doubt it will be anyone nicer than me." Raphael grumbled now moving closer to her.

Elena geimaced before she sighed. She didn't have any options other than this. She didn't know Rapharl at all other than his name. But.....he seemed.....nice. Sort of. Gruff but he was trying to help her. "Okay. I live on Rockford Lane." She said now reaching forward.

"Hands only on my arm, okay? Don't need ya freaking out on me or anything." Raphael said placing his covered arm against her arms.

Elena furrowed her brow in confusion before she slowly nodded. She wrapped both hands around his arm, pausing in surprise when she could practically feel how thick his arm was. "Whoa. You have beefy arms, don't you?" She asked in humor as she pulled herself to her feet.

Raphael snorted but didn't say anything as he let her steady herself before starting to walk into the alley. "We're gonna take a back way I know, all right?" He told her.

Tensing only a little, Elena nodded.

"Relax, I ain't gonna hurt you or anything. If I wanted to, I'd do it by now. There ain't no one around. And I wouldn't have saved you from those guys either." Raphael said somewhat annoyed.

Elena slowly forced herself to relax before smiling, her head up turned. "Sorry. I'm just......not used to people helping me. I usually have been on my own since.......well," she cut herself off.

"Since what?" Raphael asked looking down at her.

Turning her face away, Elena looked somewhat saddened by whatever memories going through her head. "Well.......since my parents died." She said in a low voice.

Raphael looked at her in surprise before he relaxed himself then looked forward. "Sorry." He murmured.

Elena smiled faintly as she tilted her head towards him, lifting it a little. "You know, you sound tall. How tall are you? And how old are you? You sound like you're in your twenties or so." She said pressing a little.

Making a face, the Mutant looked down at her again. "What's with all of the questions?" He asked frowning.

Elena shrugged, a distant look on her face. "I am just trying to get to know you more. Make a conversation to pass by time, I guess. You don't let people get close to you, do you?" She asked, in a low voice.

"And why should I? People wouldn't like me even if they knew me. My family is all I really need close to me. That's it." Raphael gruffed.

Smiling faintly, Elena nodded with a soft sigh. "Fine, I'll shut up." She sad forcefully.

There was an almost awkward silence as Raphael lead her down alley ways, pausing around corners to make sure no one was down them before going on.

"Six foot five, I guess." Raphael finally said making Elena look up at him in surprise, or turning her head towards him.

"Huh?"

"I'm probably six foot five. Maybe six foot eight. I dunno. And I ain't in my twenties. I'm actually in my teenage years still. 18 years is the biggest estimate." Raphael said blankly.

Again, Elena looked surprised as she held onto his covered arm. "You're kidding! You do not sound like a teenager. And you're huge! Can I see what you look like?" She asked now lifting her hand.

Raphael immediately pulled back from her, halting in going on. "Hey, what're you doing?" He asked now on guard.

"I just want to see what you look like. I can feel your face with my hands and piece together what you might look like." Elena answered.

Raphael drew back a little further, definitely not liking that. "Yeah, uh, no. How about not? I am not really a touchy, feely kind of person. Besides, you're better off not knowing what I look like." He told her.

Elena looked a little put out but nodded as she lowered her hand. She wasn't going to push it. "I am sorry. I didn't mean......." she said lowering her head.

"Eh.....don't say sorry. It's just I ain't exactly.....normal, I guess you can say. Not exactly pretty like most people." Raphael said grimacing as he started leading her again. "Some might even consider me like a freak or something."

Elena frowned up at him before smiling and shaking her head. "You don't seem bad to me. No matter what you look like, you're definitely not a freak. You're being nice to me when most don't. And you just met me." She stated softly.

Raphael stared at her for a moment before he felt his mouth upturn, almost into a smile.

"So.......your family. Would you mind telling me about them?" Elena asked curiously.

Again glancing at her, Raphael shrugged. He didn't see any harm in it. It was more than likely he wasn't going to see her again after tonight. Unless Fate was playing some weird joke on him. "It's just me and my three brothers and our father. And I guess my somewhat sister. We're all kinda different from what anyone would think." He told her.

"What are your brothers' and sister's names?" Elena asked smiling.

"Leonardo, Donatello and Michaelangelo are my brothers and April is our sister."

Elena's face lit up and she smiled brightly. "Wow! So you're all na,ed after great artists of history. And April?! That is such a pretty name! I always like.that name! That's actually pretty cool! What are they like?" She asked enthusiastically.

Grimacing Raphael shrugged as he thought about it. "Leo and I are the oldest of us. Donny and Mikey are the youngest. Leo.is kind of a......leader type. Kind of bossy and always telling me what to do when he isn't really in charge or anything. We kinda butt heads a lot. Donny is pretty smart. He is such a nerd and know it all but some of his inventions are cool and useful, I guess. Mikey's a goofball. He is always messing around and probably has a serious case of that attention disorder." He said snorting in humor.

Elena just smiled but listened to him as he kept talking. She could hear a slight fondness for each and every one of his brothers. He might not want to have admitted it, but he was fond of his brothers. "They sound nice. I always had wanted siblings but never had the chance." She said with a slight sadness to her tone.

Raphael looked down at her, frowning. "What happened to your mom and dad? If ya don' mind me asking." He said cautiously.

Sighing, Elena lowered her head and shrugged. "Fire. I don't remember too well what happened that night. I just remember waking up in my bed, smelling smoke. I heard my parents calling for me and then an explosion. The house went up pretty fast. I don't know it started though." She told him. "The Fire Investigators suspected that my dad might have started it but......" her face scrunched up, quite angrily. "My father never would have endangered me and my mother like that. He wasn't a violent person. But the investigators were sure someone started it. They said that there was gasoline found on the floor boards. Someone tried to kill us and I was the only one who got out."

Raphael frowned as he listened. That sounded a little familiar if someone would have asked him. Too familiar to his own past, to his family's. He didn't remember anything before mutating in the sewers, much like his brothers. But....he did remember some kind of fire.

"Ya think.....it might have been the Foot Clan?" Raphael asked carefully.

Elena turned her face towards him, looking confused. "The Foot Clan? You mean those Thug Gangs that was always on the news? Maybe. I don't know why they would target my family though. As far as I understood, the Foot Clan targeted anyone who crossed them or had something to do with them. My father, nor my mother had anything to do with them." She said frowning.

"That you might have known of." Raphael pointed out.

Elena shook her head, still frowning. "My mom was a school teacher, teaching the fourth grade. And my dad was a cop. What would they......oh." she paused a thought hitting her in dawning horror. "Or maybe he did cross the Foot Clan as a cop." She said her voice cracking a little.

"Sorry to make ya think about that. I kinda hope it ain't true. But I wouldn't count on it." Raphael said grimacing with only twinge of guilt for upsetting her.

Slowly, Elena shook her head, smiling faintly. "If my dad was a cop who was fighting the Foot Clan, I......don't think I mind. He was doing what he thought was right. He was a good guy fighting bad guys. That's all that matters to me." She said somewhat proudly.

Raphael did smile that time, shaking his head. He couldn't help it with her. She was no doubt as innocent as they came. The type of people he and his brothers swore to protect when they were able to start fighting.

Glancing around, the mutant saw that he and Elena finally came to her neighborhood. Problem was, there were people out and he had to stop. He couldn't go further without being seen. "Hey, we're on your street. Which one is yours?" He asked after a moment.

Elena tilted her head forward before smiling. "My apartment complex is the red brick building. Number 603." She told him starting to step forward but stopped when he made no move to venture on. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, there's people over there. I don't do so good with people." Raphael said only telling half the truth. "Ya think they will help you out?"

Elena shook her head but smiled in understanding as she squeezed his thick arm. "No. None of my neighbors are nice, really. But it's okay. If you point me in the direction, I can find it. Thank you so much, Raph. You have been so kind to me already and I don't want to bug you any more than I already have." She stated.

"I don't mind." Raphael surprised himself with that truth. He found he didn't. "I just don't......mingle with people that much. Get home safe, all right?" He added as he turned her slightly. "Twenty feet forward and you're at the door."

Elena smiled and nodded as she squeezed his arm lightly. "Thank you again, Raphael." She said starting to step forward before halting again. She turned slightly back towards him. "No pun intended but......I won't mind seeing you again some time. It's nice to make new friends in a city like this."

Raphael snorted softly before stepping back into the shadows. "I'll be around. We just might run into each other again. I better go. I am already past my curfew and I kinda ditched my brothers. So I am probably going to be in trouble when I get home." He remarked.

Smiling, Elena shook her head. "I hope not. I'd like to see you again some time. Maybe we can hang out soon. Well, good bye, Raphael. It was so nice meeting you." She said before turning and waking towards her building, hand stretched out until she managed to find the building itself.

Raphael watched her go, making sure she wasn't going to have more trouble before he practically melted into the shadows. It was his turn to get home.

And boy, he was sure he was going to hear it from Leonardo and probably Master Splinter. He was so going to the Hiyashi.

But....in truth, he thought it might be worth it this time. He had probably just made a new friend.


	4. Chapter Four

Yep.

Raphael had been in trouble as soon as he got home and when Leonardo descended on him, demanding to know where he had been, he snapped back, stating it was none of his business.

And now he was in the Hiyashi, doing upside down push ups for even refusing to answer Master Splinter.

It was still worth it.

"So, let me get this straight. He was out pretty much all night, came home and refused to tell you where he was and what he was doing." April said as she sat down beside Mikey on sofa making her daily visit down in the sewer home.

Mikey snorted as he dug into pork rinds and nodded, watching his largest brother continue his punishment but not without some strain. "Yep. Sounds about right. Raph even mouthed off to Leo, though that's nothing new." He stated in between eating the rinds.

April grimaced before she dug into her yellow leather jacket and pulled up a notepad out. "Well, I do have some news on some things. One that might clear up some problems. I just got word from one of my contacts that about five this morning, police were called to near the Institute of Audio Research to rescue three guys from a dumpster." She said eyeing Raph and, bingo! There was a reaction.

Raphael, in mid push up, hesistated, which caused him to groan before coming crashing down on his shell with a startled yelp.

"Ye-ah, I figured you might have had something to do with that." Aprial snorted as she looked over at the largest in the room, while the others gave him suspicious looks. "What did they do to piss you off to earn a garbage bath?"

Raphael panting from his long punishment climbed to his three toed feet, slightly hunching over from exhersion. "Who said I had anything to do with that?" He asked between pants of trying to catch his breath.

"Raph, seeing you were doing just fine in your Hiyashi punishment until April said anything, it's obvious." Leonardo said sternly as he folded his arms over his hard armored chest. "So spill it!"

Raphael growled in his direction but a slight warning flick of Splinter's tail kept him from biting back. "Fine. Caught 'em stalking some girl, okay?! They were going to jump her and I did something about it. Happy?!" He gruffed.

"Raph!" Leonardo scowled loudly but silenced when Splinter sent him a look.

"Did they see you?" The large Mutant rat asked calmly.

Rapharl shook his head as he leaned against the wall, still trying to catch his breath. It annoyed him, though when everyone but April looked a little skeptical.

But instead of out right denying it, Splinter looked over at April, who understood.

"It's reported that the three guys didn't see who attacked them. They even admitted their crimes, pretty shaken up to think who stuffed them in a dumpster would do it again if they didn't come clean. They said that they were planning up a girl and taking her to the Look Out of the city for, and I quote, some fun. I happen to know that the Look out is usually where couples mess around and it IS also a place where.....well, sexual attacks happen. So, let's face it. Raphael actually did a pretty good thing last night." She said shrugging with a light smile.

The tension in the air melted away, though there was still some of it surrounding Raphael.

Splinter sighed softly before smiling towards his largest son, a hint of pride in his beady eyes. "Very well then. Raphael, you are reprieved. Go clean up yourself and we will rest before resuming training." He told him softly.

Raphael nodded as he straightened and headed to the exit.

"Wait." Leo spoke up, making everyone look at him. He was looking uneasy about the whole thing. "The girl that these guys were going to jump. She......didn't see you, did she?"

Raphael gave a humorless chuckle and scoff as he looked directly at his katana weilding brother. "Definitely not. She definitely didn't see me." He remarked, before leaving.

Leonardo frowned, watching him go before looking at Splinter. "He's lying, Master. He has got to be." He said in accusation.

"I don't think he was, Leo." April spoke up, making him look at her in surprise. "Because according to the police report, there was a broken stick at the scene. A blind stick that the blind uses to get around without bumping into stuff. So......whoever this girl was, she might have been blind and didn't see Raph."

Dawning formed in the other three brothers' eyes and Donny pointed after shifting his glasses again. "Hey, there was that one girl that Mikey dropped a piece of the roof top ledge on." He stated.

And he recieved a blank look from April and Splinter before they turned it onto Mikey, who dramatically looked betrayed.

"What?" April asked dully before she gave Mikey a look. "You dropped a piece of roof top on someone?! Did she get hurt?!"

Michaelangelo cringed under the baleful looks he was getting but it was Donatello who rescued him. "It was just a small piece of plaster stone. She seemed fine. It did get her attention but I think she was blind so she didn't see anything. She just brushed it off and kept walking to some bus stop." He stated.

"Well, either way, we need to know if she was the girl that Raph might have saved from getting jumped. So, do you remember what she looked like? If I can find her, I can find out if she might have heard anything." April said relieved that no one got hurt.

Donatello shook his head, grimacing. "No. I didn't see her clearly. My glasses were smudged a little. I think she had dark hair but that's all I saw." He told her sheepishly.

April smiled at him and reached over to pat his shell. "It's okay, Donny. It's still something. I'll see if I can't find this girl and see if she knows anything." She told her friends and family softly.

Splinter bowed his head respectfully to her in gratitude. He just hoped that if the girl did find out about them, she wouldn't react badly to them at all. The fact that Raphael, of all four of his sons might have revealed himself to a human was disconcerning. He expected something like that from Michaelangelo, not Raphael.

"You have my gratitude, April. I can only hope that if things go the way they might, this......girl will not react negatively or become a target to the Foot Clan." The Master said gravely.

"If it does go badly, what will you do?" April asked in concern.

The Mutant rat shook his head, not really knowing how to answer that at all. He wasn't sure what he or his sons would do. But only time could tell.

 

"What?! What do you mean you were jumped last night?! Goddamnit! I knew I should have.......!"

Elena rolled her unseeing eyes as she sat on her sofa tapping her ankle she had crossed over her lap. She had been expecting something like this from Casey when he found out. She didn't see a problem with it though. It was the past now.

"Casey, for crying out loud. I am fine! I wasn't hurt!" She argued with her friend that was pacing back and forth in her front room.

Casey sent her a look as he continued moving back and forth. He was so agitated right now. Here, he had come over to bring some groceries for Elena and then she goes off and tell him she had been attacked the night before on her way home. How could she expect him not to react?!

"Don't give me that, Elena! You could have been killed! Or worse! How the hell did you get out of it?! Did cops show up as it was happening?!" Casey ranted, hands.waving in the air.

Scowling, Elena shook her head as she listened to him move back and forth. "No. Someone else did. He was really nice to me. Maybe a little gruff but he saved me. Twice, actually. When I got to school, some idiots knocked my stick away from me and he came and gave it back. And then probably beat the shit out of those guys who jumped me. He brought me home too." She explained.

Casey looked wide eyed at her, not believing her. "What! HE KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE?! ELENA! What if he is a freak who preys on girls he's........!" He was exclaiming.

Elena scowled at him, her foot swinging off her lap, onto the ground. "He isn't a freak, Casey! He saved me, a blind girl who was in trouble! Yeah, I just met him but he isn't a freak! He didn't have to help me! But he did! There ARE some decent people in this damn city, you know?!" She snapped.

Casey huffed but relaxed slowly. "Okay, pkay. I'm sorry I insulted him. So who is he?" He asked frowning.

"Why, so you can hunt him down and threaten him? He could probably take you, judging by how thick his arm was when he guided me." Elena said sourly.

Again, Casey huffed, but more in amusement. "Puh-lease, I can take down some pretty guys. I have metal hockey and bats sticks at home I'd use on scumbags." He stated before waving a hand at her, even though she couldn't see. "Look, I am just looking out for you and I want to make sure that no one is gonna try something on you if you don't want it."

Sighing, Elena shook her head but smiled as she turned her face towards him. "I highly doubt it's like that. But he said his name was Raphael." She told him.

There was a strange pause before Casey looked skeptic. "Raphael? What kind of name is that?" He asked just as.

Elena glared in his direction. "I like it! It's unique! What kind of name is Casey, huh?" She asked in irritation.

Casey laughed as he raised his hands in his own defense, not even offended. "Okay, okay. I'll back off. Did he even give you a last name?" He asked still laughing.

Elena softened a little but shook her head. "No. He didn't. But how many could have a name such as Raphael. He said he had brothers too. Uh......I think....oh, yeah! Leonardo, Michaelangelo and Donatello. All named after.great artists. Or so I have heard. He was a little gruff and seemed distant but he was nice to me. So if you ever do find him, be nice." She warned him.

"All right, all right. I will. But you be careful. You know what they say about strangers. I still think he has a weird name. Sounds like his brothers do too for that matter." Casey stated before going over to sink down on the couch next to her. "So, since it's your day off, what are you doing today?"

Shaking her head, Elena shrugged at the same time. "I......I think I might pull out my violin and play some. I need to practice more." She said in wondering. I probably will stop by one of the music agencies today and see if they won't give me a shot again."

Casey smiled, shakingnhis head as he lounged back against the sofa arm. "I still can't believe you can play a violin and be blind. And you have actually done it with me here!" He said teasingly.

"Oh, please, Casey. Plenty of people can play a musical instrument with disabilities like mine. To me, it is just the sound that helps me. I have been playing since I was little." Elena said with a scoff. "Look at Ray Parks. He was blind and he was one of the greatest piano players and singers that ever lived. There is also a blind cello player in L.A, California. I am no different than anyone else."

Chuckling, Casey shook his head as he lightly tapped her leg with his hand. "Hey, tell you what. I don't work until 9:00 tonight so, why don't I go with you today? See if we can't......." he was saying.

Suddenly there was a furious knocking at the door, making him and Elena jump a little and turn towards the door.

Elena paused, her body stiffening as she heard a furious knock a minute later before she slumped. There was only one person she knew that knocked like that. "Oh, hell. I did not want to deal with him right now." She groaned.

Casey stood up and was starting to make his way to the door for her. "Who is it?" He asked as he approached the door.

"My crazy ex." Elena's miserable reply had been.

Casey frowned skeptically. He knew who she was talking about. He never met the guy but he knew about him from what Elena told him before. "What, that asshole? I thought you dumped him when he got too possessive over you." He stated.

His only answer was a shrug. 

Frowning seriously, Casey put on a lazy look before he opened the door a crack and found a punk of a looking guy just standing there. The young man was probably 21 years old, tall, somewhat built average. He wore baggy jeans that sagged over his scrawny butt, howing off his black boxers and a black tee shirt with a Play Boy girl sillouette on it. He wasn't a bad looking guy, really. He was actually very good looking with trimmed black hair, dark eyes, chizeled face. He obviously did some hard work by the looks of his frame.

It was just the way he dressed that had Casey scoff in humor as he laned against the door frame. The guy was obviously a punk and probably thought he was a gangster too.

"Can I help you?"

The guy blinked at Casey, looking surprised before he frowned and tried looking past his road block into the apartment. But he was blocked by, truthfully, the Ex-Jock and the door, slightly shutting until it rested against said former Jock's slightly brawny shoulder.

"Where the hell is Elena? She still lives here, right?" The gangster wannabe asked roughly, clearly not pleased.

Casey forced a small grin as he gave the kid quite a look. "That ain't the answer I am looking for, kiddo. Try again or I shut the door in your face." He said roughly.

The young man glared at him but straightened, his arms folded across his chest. "I am looking for Elena Harker. She still lives here, right? Where the hell is she? I wanna talk to her!" He said rather harshly.

Tsking, Casey started closing the door but paused when he heard his young friend sigh from behind him and call softly to him to let the punk in.

Pulling the door open wider but not moving to actually let the punk in, Casey stepped to the side to let Gangster wanna be see Elena on the sofa. He cleared his throat loudly when the little punk made to step inside, moving slightly to block him again. He did not want to let this guy in. He was getting bad vibes from him.

So if he wanted to speak to Elena, he could do it right from the hallway, outside the apartment.

The guy gave him a dark look for it but understood as he looked over at Elena. "Hey, Elena. Why haven't you been returning my calls? I have been calling you almost every night since June and it's September now." He said roughly, earning quite a look from the doorblock, which he ignored.

Elena sighed as she turned her face towards the door as if looking at the guy. "Rick, I told you. We broke up. And I didn't want to see you any more. Not after beating that one guy up for just holding the door for me when we went to the mall." She said wearily.

The man, Rick scoffed as he shifted his feet, shaking his head. "I didn't think you were actually serious! What the hell, Elena?! You're not dumping me! Hell no!" He snapped.

"Eeeeeh! Times up! Have a nice day!" Casey practically sang before shutting the door right in Rick's face.

There came a muffled string of swear words and a pounding on the door while Elena looked exasperated in her friend's direction.

"I ain't letting him talking to you like that." Casey pressed as he leaned against the door heavily when little punk asshole tried opening it with a bunch of swear words coming through the metal slab of metal.

"Casey, he is just going to get madder." Elena said warily.

"Don't rightly care." Casey remarked as he kept the door from opening before looking over his shoulder into the metal door. "Hey, asshole! Knock it off or I'm calling the cops! Try this again withoit snapping at my pretty friend!"

There was apause and then a shout of a swear word before the rough knocking came again.

Casey opened the door to look out and then jerkedback when a fist came flying at him. He lashed out and caught the jerk's arm before twisting it quickly until he had it trapped behind the kid's back. He briefly saw Elena stiffen in growing unease, listening to the scuffle.

"Okay, trying to punch me is not working out for you, kid." Casey said as he kept a firm hold on the guy and squeezingnhis wrist tightly made him cry out. "You have one minute to apologize to Elena and then I am taking you outside, where you will leave and not come back. If you do, I will not only call the men in blue but press charges for harrassment on a disabled person such as Elena. She said no, so you will respectfully back off." He stated firmly.

"I am going to kick your ass, man! Who the hell do you think you are?! I am going to......!" Rick was yelling as he struggled to break loose.

"The name is Casey Jones, former star player of the New York University's baseball team and even Hockey team. Would have gone pro if I hadn't jacked up my chance when I beat down punks like you for beating up on elders and was arrested for brutal assault." Casey said casually before he began dragging the gangster out. "Hey, Elles. I am gonna take your trash out, all right? Be right back."

Elena grimaced as she listened to the struggles before hearing the door close. She just sat there, tense as ever. She loved Casey but if he got into trouble for this, it was on his head.

Still, she was grateful for having a friend like him. And possibly, just maybe, had a new one closer to her age.

 

Later in the day, Elena did go to a musical agency with her violin case in hand. She wanted to see if this one would accept her this time. And thankfully, Casey was going with her half of the way. He didn't get into trouble with the cops that drove by while having a good yelling fight with Rick but he did get a warning. And so did Rick for that matter.

When Casey explained to the cops why he was kicking Rick out of the apartments, they warned the gangster that if they got word he was harrassing Elena again, the would take him in.

So afterwards, Elena and Casey made their way to a music agency and he left her to do her thing, stating that he would take her home if she wanted. She just had to meet him at the Central Park around nine, since his shift was.going to be short.

Agreeing, Elena went into the music agency, a big smile on her face, her replacement blind stick just tapping against the ground until she heard a woman's voice, obviously talking on a phone.

"Hold on, Brent. There is someone here." The woman said before she turned her attention onto Elena. "Hello. What can I do for you?"

Elena smiled in the woman's direction as she stood up straight. "Hello. I am Eleanor Harker. I was wondering if a music agent was available right now or soon. I'd like to get an appointment made and see if they would give me a shot." She told her.

There was a pause and Elena could almost see the woman looking her over. It was.....rather tense.

"Ah....I'm sorry. But the agents we have here are already working on projects." The woman said, a hint of irritation in her tone, though why, Elena didn't know. "As it is......I don't think they would any way."

Feeling her heart sinking, Elena's smile started to fade. "Wh-why not?" She asked, trying to hide the hurt.

"Look, I don't want to be rude or anything but I'd think you'd want it bluntly, but you're blind, aren't you?" The woman asked skeptically. "I have been a receptionist for a while now for multiple agencies. And I have seen a lot of people come and go. A lot of them talented. And you are not the only blind person to have come in here and have this happened. I don't want to break your heart, girl. But.....no one is going to give you a shot."

Heart falling faster, Elena felt her unseeing eyes tearing up and her breath sped up. "I am really good though. I plau a violin and have since......" she was saying.

"Honey, in this day and age, they're not going to care. No one does." The woman said almost apologetically. "If you're blind, they won't care. Now, I can make some calls for you, see if another agency will give you a shot, but this one," She scoffed. "Truth be told, they are all assholes and bitches. Stuck up to an extreme. I am telling you this now before they get a chance to hurt you. I only put up with them because they pay good money. Otherwise, I'd drop them in a heart beat."

Elena smiled sadly but nodded. She was grateful for the warning and the offer to help. "Thank you. Any kind of help would be appreciate it." She told her and then gave the woman her information before leaving.

A nice walk through the park was enough to calm her nerves after that bit of disappointment. It was heart wrenching to hear that but she had been grateful to the receptionist for giving her a warning.

It was only six o'clock and still really early to meet Casey but she didn't have any where else to be.

So, finding a nice quiet place to sit, Elena pulled out her violin, made sure it was in tune before she began playing a soft song she hadn't wrote but she did like a lot. She especially loved the band that did write it and listened to them all of the time. She played the song in a soft way, feeling it come right from her own heart with the mood she was in.

The song was Requiem For A Dream.

As Elena played the song, she did become aware of some people in the park listening to her play. She heard some talk with approval of her skills and it just made her heart sink more.

If people in the public liked her music, why couldn't music agents? Why would agents rejected her just for being blind?

It just wasn't fair and it did bring tears to her useless eyes as she continued to play the song, until it came to an end.

Only then did Elena play something new.

She began to play another song that soothed her crumpled heart; Bach's Lullaby. She remembered at one time in her childhood her mother would hum her to sleep with it.

God, she missed her parents. She wished they were still with her. She knew fairly well that if her father were still alive, he'd given the music agencies hell for treating her so poorly just because she was blind. He would have stormed into the places, ranting and raving and making them listen to her music. He had been a hard man when he was alive but he always had a soft heart for her.

Her mother was kind, caring, loving to all that met her. It was why she taught the forth grade. She loved children. She always had. And she deeply loved her one and only child more than anything or anyone. Elena, truthfully, and she did know about it, was her mother's miracle.

Before her parents had died, they had admitted to her that they had tried for children for so long only to have heart breaking news delivered to them. They had been told that her mother couldn't have children. She was infertile, unable to carry offspring.

But after four years of trying, she ended pregnant with Elena, despite what doctors had said. It was like God, or Fate had pity on the pair and gave them their miracle baby.

After Elena, however, they found out that they couldn't have any more.

While Elena's parents had desired more than one child, they were content with her. They loved her more than anything.

Of course there had been complications with Elena when she was born. She had been premature as it was, born before her time and did end up in an ICU incubator. She had had her sight by then. She had been born with the gift of sight until she got very sick with her premature life and then, her sight went black.

No one could really explain what had happened. Not even the doctors. Though one did claim that because Elena had been premature and she had had her complications after birth, he believed that her coronas had been bad enough before they just died.

It had been depressing in some ways but Elena's parents never minded. They just loved their miracle even more, taking care of her, teaching her and even learned how to deal with her being blind.

To think about the past like that, Elena smiled sadly as she closed her unseeing eyes and played her violin into a new song. A gentle, loving song that she wrote herself. It was a song she honored her parents' life and even death.

It couldn't be helped that a few tears found their way to trail down her pretty face.

"So, what? You play a violin, now? Are you sure you ain't pulling my shell.....uh, leg about being blind?" Came a rather familiar voice from close by, making Elena jump and stop immediately from playing further on.


	5. Chapter Five

Raphael was surprised.

Never did he ever expect to see this, nor hear this at all. Or even see her again, not amongst hundreds or thousands of people in this huge city. He expected that running into her was a one time thing, just someone he would randomly help just one night.

But here she was. In Central Park, of all places. Where he had picked to patrol.

It had started out like he usually did. He slept the day away for a few hours, got up with his brothers and trained with Master Splinter. And then they got word from April that the Foot Clan was getting active again.

"We recieved news about gang raids in people's houses and even some people getting jumped in dark alley ways. Some warehouses have been hit, merchandise such as electronics were stolen. Some TVs, Blue-Rays, a few vehicles were taken." April announced when she came to the sewers with her partner, Vernon in tow.

Vernon nodded as he stood in front of the Turtles and Splinter, still looking uneasy of them. He still wasn't used to them. They all intimidated him greatly for what they were and what they did.

"Police are saying that it's just gang raids. Kids who are acting tough and all. But our contact in the police force has told us that even medical supplies started to going missing. X-Ray machines, IVs, medical drugs, heart monitors." The camera man explained, arms folded. "That's a little too fishy for us."

"So what do you think then?" Donatello asked as he.pushed up his glasses on his nearly flat, slitted nose.

April shook her head as she got into her backpack she carried around. She pulled out what was a thick file and placed it on the table between her and her estranged family. "I went back and checked the reports about what happened six to seven months ago. Just to make sure and see the identity of Shredder, guys." She nodded when all four Turtles and even Splinter stiffened at that. "When he fell from the tower, it should have killed him, guys. His body, armor and all was taken to the New York City Morgue. But, it never made it there. There are confidential police reports that the ambulance that was taking the body and armor was attacked and everyone but one was killed by what seemed a gang of Ninjas."

"Shredder is alive then?" Leonardo asked, his arms folding, yet mostly to hide his unease at the news.

April shrugged and shook her head, still looking worried at the same time. "He can't be. He fell over a hundred feet. Unless that armor he was reinforced with a lot of padding inside, he should be dead." She told him.

"We aren't ruling it out. Why else would a bunch of Ninjas be stealing medical supplies, if not to nurses someone back from critical?" Vernon said with a large sigh. "Still if Shredder is dead, that armor he was wearing was a walking tank, honestly. What Sacks did to it, what he installed in it, that was a lot of weaponary. We are thinking that if Shredder ever shows up again, it's not going to be the same guy. It has to be someone taking his place. A...a...well, like you, guys, actually. A student, apprentice or something. Anything to keep fear in Shredder's name. Which, we didn't ever find out what the freak's real name was."

The Turtles all shared a glance with one another before looking at Splinter who as in deep thought mode. They knew it had to be weighing down in his mind that Shredder was possibly going to make another comeback.

"We must investigate this, ourselves. We need to know if Shredder is in deed alive." The large rat finally spoke up, concern thick in his voice. "It will mean more patrols at night, searching for signs of the Foot Clan."

April nodded as she glanced at Vernon then back at Splinter. "I want you guys to be really careful if you start looking into this. You guys were caught once and nearly killed because of that son of a bitch, Sacks. The Foot Clan knows about you now. They're going to be wanting the mutangen formula which is directly inside of each of you. If they get their hands on it, and Shredder is really allive, they are.going to be looking for you. They're.going to want that formula and do a super revival on Shredder." She sent Raphael, of all four Turtles a cautious look. "You have to be really, really careful. I don't want to lose any of you like I almost did. Raph, that means you too."

Raphael huffed, throwing his three appendaged hands into the air and turned away. "All right. I'll be more careful. Can we just go look for the Foot now? The sooner we find.out if Shred-face is alive, the sooner we can figure out what to do about him." He said irritably.

There were a few sighs before Splinter nodded, turning to face his sons, which they immediately stood at attention. "Leonardo, Raphael, Michaelangelo and Donatello, my sons, search the entire city. Patrol the roof tops and find evidence of the Foot Clan's return. We must know if Shredder has indeed survived or not." He stated. "Do not engage them unless you have to."

All four Turtles nodded sharply, though Mikey grinned like a lunatic and Raphael smirked.

"Yes, sensei." All of them chanted sharply before they turned to gather their weapons of choice and skill off the walls.

And therefore, all four teenage, mutant ninja turtles left the sewers with April and Vernon to spread out through the city to begin their search for the dreaded Foot Clan.

"All right, guys. Donny has fixed the range wide on our new coms. We should be able to keep in touch with each other and our favorite humans." Leonardo said as they stood on a roof top with each other. He touched the com mike attached to his katana's shoulder strap, activating it. "April, Vernon, do you read?"

'Loud and clear, Leo.' Came April's reply over the coms. 'Looks like it's working. Okay. Here is what we got. There are crimes happening nearly 24/7 in the city. The activities I think are worth looking into are on Broadway, the hospital, the docks and Central Park.'

Leonardo nodded before sharing a glance around with his brothers. "Okay then. We will split up. But keep radio contact. And no playing heroes when we have too much other stuff to worry about right now." He shot Raphael a look for that one, who glared. "Donny, you check the hospital. Mikey, the......"

"I get dibs on Broadway!" Michaelangelo interrupted him, hand raised.

"I'll take the park then." Raphael spoke up his eyes on the eldest brother, daring him to argue.

Leonardo rolled his eyes before nodding to all of them. "Okay. I have the Harbor and docks. If you see any Foot activity, let us all know. No taking them on yourself. Like April said, they might be after us again for the mutangen. We don't need to give them a shot at us." He told them before he turned in the direction he was going to go in.

The other did the same and soon split up, heading to their respected patrol areas.

Raphael leaped roof top to roof top, eyes trained on the trees he saw ahead. He was careful to not being seen by the people below on the streets, seeing the sun was just barely going down. He had enough shadows to work with to getting to the park.

And as he started moving through the trees, he heard music; a violin.

It was surprising to him to hear such a melody to make him stop dead to listen. He frowned, taking it in. The song.....it was kind of sad music, but.....dare he say it, beautiful. Who could be making such beautiful music so sad and yet be so drawing?

It couldn't be helped that Raphael followed the sweet melody, which had changed into something a little more upbeat and just as drawing.

And then, his eyes fell on the one who was making it, and was surprised.

It was her.

Elena Harker.

Surprised, Raphael watched her play the violin, eyes closed and looking so troubled. He didn't get it. Wasn't she blind? How could she be playing that.......?

Was she.....was she crying?

It was clear as ever that the girl was crying. She had tears trailing down her face as she played the beautiful music. But why was she upset when she played so beautifully?

Raphael knew something must have happened. Something bad. And what made things worse, he found he did not like to think someone might have hurt this human girl. He felt the urge to protect her, and he was pretty sure because of her condition. She was an innocent person, who was helpless in some degree.

Something he and his brothers swore to protect.

So, glancing around and not seeing anyone around but the girl, Raphael jumped silently down from the large tree he jad been in and approached her but not without caution.

"So, what? You play a violin now? Are you sure you're not pulling my shell.......uh, leg about being blind?" The gruff, large Turtle spoke up as he now stood before Elena Harker.

Elena gasped softly, abruptly stopping her bow from sliding against the strings of the violin. She opened her unseeing eyes and turned her face towards the one who spoke. She knew that voice but was still startled by hearing it again. "Who's.....?" She paused recalling the voice and trying to place the name it belonged to.

"What, you don't remember me?" Raphael asked smirking as he folded his large arms across his naturally armored chest.

Frowning in confusion, Elena thought for a moment before her face lit up with her pretty smile. "Raphael. No, I remember you. How could I forget? You saved me last night. I didn't think I'd see you again." She lightly laughed at her own thoughtless pun. "Well, hear you again. What are you doing here?" She asked now setting her violin down on her lap.

Raphael, again, smirked before shaking his head as he gave a cautious glance around to make sure there were still no one around but the two. "Just taking a walk through the park, I guess. I heard music and came looking. Didn' expect to see you again. Playing a violin." He said rather pointingly.

Understanding formed on Elena's face and she smiled towards him. "Ah....yes. This." She settled her hand across the strings. "I was just a little girl when I began learning. Blind or not, I can play. I had a tutor who was determined to teach me. He taught me very well." She told him, still smiling. "A lot of people thought.....well, thinks I can't play because I am blind."

Giving a light scoff, Raphael shook his head, smirking. "Nope, you can play all right. It's.....not my type of music but it was really pretty. I liked it." He stated before looking around again.

Luckily, still no one.

"Let me guess." Elena said with a light laugh of her own. "Your type of music is more....heavy beat, probably electronic, maybe even really loud. Hard Rock? Rap? Dub-step? Maybe Electronic?"

Raphael could only bark a single laugh as he dropped his large arms from his side. "Heh, you already seem to know me all too well. Tell ya the truth, though. I actually like Broadway music. Sometimes I just cover it by listening to all of that. Sometimes, I sneak into Broadway shows just to listen to the music. Maybe watch some shows. I really like thaat one about the lions. And the one with the girl and the beast." He told her.

Elena laughed, shaking her head. She would have never guessed. "The Lion King Broadway show and Beauty and the Beast. Never would have imagined." She said giggling still.

Now sobering up, Raphael did another visual sweep of the area and it was strange to him that no one was coming yet. "So.....why are you out here by yourself anyway? It's getting dark. And Central Park is dangerous after dark." He said.

Frowning in surprise, Elena turned to her watc and taped the button and to her slightly surprise and dismay, it was well after nine. Casey should have been there a while ago. "Oh. It is getting late. I was waiting for a friend to come get me but......I guess he might have gotten caught up in something." She sighed now starting to put her violin away. "I guess I better try and find my own way home then." She said now locking her instrument up before standing.

She, however, paused, grimacing. She had lost track of where she was and what direction she needed.

Raphael huffed, smirking as he watched her. "Let me guess. You got yourself lost." He stated before chuckling when Elena winced. "Okay, okay. I'll lead you in the right direction. Come on." He stated without really even thinking as he held out his hand.

Smiling, Elena seemed.to guess he held it out and reached out to take it. She felt her fingers brush against his own fingers and palm before he stiffened and jerked his hand back. She felt enough though. He had unusual skin and it hadn't gone to her obliviousness that....she felt something weird about his fingers. She could have sworn she felt only three.

"Uh.....on second thought, you think you can just walk beside me?" Raphael asked, cursing himself as he realized what he almost had done.

Elena frowned slightly taken aback but it was mostly what she had registered from his hand. She knew she felt only three appendages. And his skin had been somewhat rough, if not almost cool. She knew she had almost felt......maybe scales or bumps.

But nonetheless, she nodded as she arranged her blind stick and tapped the ground. "Sure. I can. I'll follow your voice. Just keep talking to me so I know where you are." She said smiling as she adjusted her violin case onto her back.

"Uh......like about what?" Raphael asked as he turned and started walking with her beside him.

Elena thought for a moment before she shook her head. "Well......let's start where you're from. Are you from New York?" She asked head tilted towards him.

Raphael shrugged, his eyes scanning outward for anyone else. "Sure. I guess. Been living here almost my whole life." He stated, almost distractedly.

Elena tilted her head downward before she lightly swung her open hand outward to test out where he was. Her knuckles brushed against his and she felt him jerk back again. "Sorry! There are a few bumps in the road and it was a long tiring day." She fibbed.

Raphael looked down at her suspiciously but nodded as he put a few more inches of distance between them. He didn't want any accidents happening and her finding out what he was. "So......why were you crying?"

This time, Elena really did stumble and she yelped as she started pitching forward.

And this, Raphael was the one who moved, throwing out his arm in front of her to steady her to keep her from falling on her face. It was either that or be an ass and let her.

Elena caught herself on his arm and she felt his slightly rough skin. She was startled for a moment but she didn't draw away like he almost did. She kept her hands on his thick arm until he finally did jerk back.

And there was an awkward silence between them.

"I'm sorry." Elena finally said, grimacing as she folded her hands together.

Raphael scowled looking away, tempted of just leaving now. He didn't know what was going on in her head right now but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"Um.....Raphael," Elena spoke up softly. "I don't think.....you're weird or anything. You can trust me, even if you don't know me."

The large Turtle looked down at her, frowning. "Yeah, the last time I did that, my brothers and my Father was almost killed." He said grumpily now starting to step away from her.

Elena, sensing his withdrawl, reached out quickly and placed a hand on his arm again, making him freeze. She frowned as she felt his arm, feeling the texture before smiling faintly. "So this is why you avoid being touched. Were you in a really bad fire or accident?" She asked softly.

Bewildered now, Raphael didn't exactly get it. "Huh?" He asked in confusion.

"Your skin. It's kind of scaley and cool but......that could be that you were burned. And maybe your hand for one was burned so badly that your fingers were fused together and you think people would see you and think you were a freak because of your burns and such." Rlena said in a more analysis way. "Am I right?"

For a moment Raphael stared at her before it clicked in his mind. She thought he was a burn victim. She felt his skin and believed they were scars. It did make some sense and.....well, it could be the perfect cover up, he supposed. "Uh....yeah." he said still cautious. "How did......?"

Elena smiled before she lift her hands, holding them up and he barely saw them. She had burn scars on her palms. They were barely there from long over time healing but they were still there. She had been in the same fire as her parents after all.

"People have different kinds of scars, Raphael. You and I, we wear ours the same, sort of." The young girl said smiling at him as she lowered her hands again. "There is nothing wrong with you. You're not a freak like arrogant people would think you are. If people could just look at the appearences of others and see such atrocities that would label them freaks, they are the ones who truly are freaks. Never judge someone by their appearences. I don't. I might not know much about you but I think I can figure out that......you're a good person. You helped me when no one else would. You saved me from being hurt or killed. You actually went out of your way to help someone you don't even know. I think that makes you a really good person. Gruff, a little hard, maybe but.....if I am guessing right, people treated you poorly because you were different from them. So....the only logical response would to push people away."

"You don't have to do that with me, Raphael. I actually do understand and you can trust me. I promise, I won't make.fun of you or be scared of you in any way. I don't really have many friends other than people who pity me because I am blind." Elena said softly, still smiling at him. "And if for some reason, you might be hiding from people, like I think you might be since you were so cautious last night when people might have been on the street, I won't tell anyone."

Raphael frowned, listening to her. He wasn't so sure it was a good idea to place his trust into someone he didn't even know.

But......he and his brothers had trusted April and Vernon.

And they had bigger reasons to reveal them to the world and they didn't.

So......why couldn't he may be.....well.....why couldn't he have his little secret from his brothers for once?

Raphael heaved a heavy sigh before he reached out and took Elena's hand, making her smile even more before that smile faded a little when he controlled her hand to feel his. "Don't freak, okay? I ain't gonna hurt ya." He told her.

Elena smiled curiously but nodded. "I won't freak out." She promised.

The large Turtle nodded, still wondering if this was a good idea. He knew once his brothers and Father found out,.they weren't going to be happy.

Well.....except Mikey. He wouldn't care.

"You said you can see by touch. So....take a look." Raphael said dropping his other arm to his side and waited.

Elena smiled before she began running her hands along his, feeling his hands. Her smile faded only a little as she felt his three thick fingers before she felt along his equally thick wrist. She paused feeling his leather wrist guards then moved her hands past them and froze slightly feeling his ridged arms. She felt the bumpy scales he had as rough skin before she finally moved her hands up and began feeling his thick arms. "Wow. You really are big." She said as she felt the thick muscles in his biceps before she moved on, feeling his broad shoulders.

And then she touched the ends of his bandana mask before using her other hand to trail across his chest. She froze again feeling the hard biological armor of his chest plate.

Raphael grimaced as she traced her fingers along the armor. He knew that she did that he was normal.

Especially when Elena lightly rapped on it then tilted her head up as if looking at him. "Are you wearing armor?" She asked now slightly suspicious.

"No. It's a part of my chest." Raphael answered.

Elena held her breath for a moment before she slowly trailed her hands upward, almost having to stand onnher tippy toes to reach his face. Her blind eyes grew slightly wider as she carefully felt the bottom of his face before her fingers brushed against the red fabric he wore. "A mask?" She asked pausing again.

"Yep."

"Do.....do you mind taking it off for a second?" Elena asked cautiously.

Raphael hesistated before he reached up and pulled the mask off and out of the way so she could finish her assessement of his looks. He felt her fingers trail against his smooth skinned face, taking in the slight curves and then even down across his slited nose, pausing again.

Elena felt no nose. But slits in the center of his face. His face......she was almost picturing it now. She realized he had only eyes, a mouth, his face was very round and his nose......they were not definitely like a normal person's would be. She ran her fingers upward, really having to tep on her tippy toes now to feel for his hair and found none. He had a round head.

No ears from what she felt.

No.....she was starting to see him now in her mind. She was practically painting a picture of him as she kept on feeling him. And it made ner heart skip a beat. There was no doubt in her mind as she kept going, her hands now trailing down until they rest on his hard chest plate again.

Rapharl was not human.

"Wh-what......?" She murmured in shock and yet.....awe as she felt his chest plate again. "What are you?"

Raphael huffed slightly before he reached up and cupped one of his hands around her's. He wouldn't lie. He had expected her to freak out by now but she wasn't doing it. "Here, I think this will answer that." He stated before he turned slightly and placed her hand aganst his hard shell.

Elena sucked in a surprised breath as she felt the hard bumpy shell, her hands now trailing across the round designs on the back before starting to trace the edge. "Oh, my god. Is that......?" She asked surprised.

"Turtle shell. I ain't human." Raphael finally admitted.

Her unseeing eyes flicked back to the source of his voice, shock still on her face. She couldn't believe it. She could practically see him now in her mind. "What are you?" She asked again.

Raphael finally drew back from her searching fingers and stepped back. "I guess you can say, a mutant turtle. A teenage mutant turtle. And I also happen to be a ninja." He added as he tied his bandana back onto his head.

Bewildered, Elena stared in his direction before she stepped back a step. "You're kidding, right?" She asked.

Raphael shook his head as if she could see. "Nope. Go ahead. Laugh, scream, make fun. I don't care. Told ya I was....." he was saying.

Elena gave a light scoff of a laugh but shook her head. "My dad was right then." She could almost see or hear surpruse from Raphael. "There are mutant animals in New York." She smiled softly before she surprised the mutant even more as she reached out and touched his arm again. "And you're not a freak. This is actually really cool. It's like stepping into a comic book or something. Are you really a Ninja?" She asked smiling more.

Raphael was even more bewildered before he nodded and then took her hand again, pressing it carefully on one of his Psis at his waist. "Careful, it's sharp. But that is one of my Psis. It's a Ninja's weapon. Me and my brothers were taught by our father, Splinter." He told her.

Elena looked facinated as she felt the cool metal before drawing her hand away. "Splinter, huh? Is a mutant turtle too? I mean, your brothers are, right?" She asked smiling.

"Yeah, my brothers are. But Splinter's a rat. He is a good father though. Taught us everytbing we know. And encourages us to protect this world from bad people. People like the Foot Clan." Raphael told her now walking with her, her hand on his arm.

Elena slowly nodded as she took it all in before smiling. "I am not big on rats but.....he sounds really nice. What about your sister? April? How did this happen to you anyway?" She asked as she walked.

Raphael glanced at her but shrugged, still reeling from the fact that she was accepting him and his....condition. "Nah, April is human. And according to Master Splinter, we were all science experime ts for this company, Sacks Incorp. Me and my brothers were just baby turtles at the time so we don't remember anything. Splinter barely remembers but he does. He said we were injected with something. Some green goop called Mutangen. April said it was called genet.....gen.....ah, shell. I don't even know the word." He said frustrated.

"Sounds like some kind of genetic chemical compoumd. And I have heard of Sacks." Elena said frowning as she listened. "Supposibly a good man but I remember my fathwr used to complain about him. He was always suspicious Eric Sacks. Didn't he get arrested six months ago? Something being involved with terrorists?"

"Something like that. He was actually a part of the Foot." Raphael told her. "He was actually the student of the leader of the Foot Clan. Guy named Shredder."

Elena didn't like the sound of that name. She could only imagine what kind of person had that name. "Jeez. That......he's the reason why you don't trust people very much, is he?" She asked frowning.

Raphael nodded. "Sort of. Stacks tried to kill my brothers for the mutangen in our blood. Tried to drain them. If it weren't for April, they would be dead. She saved their lives. She and her partner, some geek named Vernon are the only humans we really trust." He explained.

"Until now. You can trust me. I won't tell anyone about you. I promise." Elena said pressingly.

It couldn't be helped that Raphael smirked down at her before frowning again. "Why are you so eased by all this? Why aren't you freaking out? First time April met us, she fainted. So why aren't you?" He asked in confusion.

Elena smiled softly, shaking her head. "I guess it's mostly bcause you did save me, Raph. You risked your life to save mine last night. And you're being nicer to me than anyone really does. Plus, I have always been into weird things like this. I am really open minded about strange things." She told him.

Slowl, Raphael nodded, feeling all tension leaving from his large body. "So......you didn't answer me earlier. Why were you upset?" He asked her.

Elena went quiet for a moment before she sighed, turning her face away. "Since I graduated from Private school, I have been trying to become a professional musician. I've been going to a few music agencies to see if I can't play my violin for them and they just see me as a blind girl. They always tell me that I can't do it. Just because my eyes are useless." She told him, her head hanging low in misery. "I was rejected again. Today. A receptionist is going to try and help me but.....she told me to not count on it."

A low growl escaped from Raphael before he stopped walking and pulled her to stop. "Then you're going to the wrong people. I don't even like classical type of music but I liked how you were playing. You are good. And if they want to judge you before even hearing you play, they're not worth your time." He told her firmly. "Master Splinter always had this saying he kept telling me and my brothers. Even if you fall down, get back up and try again. No matter how many times you fall down, you keep getting back up until you find your sense of balance."

Elena smiled as she listened to that and liked it. It sounded like wisdom she needed to hear. "Okay. Thank you. I needed to hear that." She told him.

'Raph, come in for shell's sake!' The com suddenly crackled making Elena jump at the sudden noise.

Raphael had started too but he was more contained about it. He groaned hearing Leonardo's voice but he tapped the mike strapped to his bandana. "Raphael, here. What, Leo?" He asked grumpily.

'We've been trying to get a hold of you for ten minutes now! Donny said it might be your com that is acting up. We're meeting up again. He wants to check it out. Meet us back at the usual spot.' Leonardo said firmly.

Rolling his eyes, Raphael huffed before he placed his three fingered hand on Elena's shoulder. "Fine. Be there in twenty. Raph, out." He growled before turning to the young woman. "Want a lift home?"

Smiling faintly, Elena shrugged. "Sure, I guess. How.....whoa!" She suddenly yelped when she felt herself being lifted right up, bridal style into those large arms. "Ra-Raphael! Wh-what are you doing?!"

"Fastest way of getting there is my way. Just hold on, okay? Keep your feet up even if I let go of your legs. I promise I won't drop you." Raphael said as he made sure she had a good tight hold on him before he took a running start.

The breath was practically knocked from her lungs when she felt him leap into the air and she felt a tree branch brush pas her skin as he took to the trees and began climbing rather quickly.

Elena clutched onto him, imagining what he was doing before she felt them air borne again. She could almost see him leaping tree to tree until he leapt onto a low roof top, still running. She felt her adrenaline rushing and a weak smile formed on her face as his arms kept a good hold onto her. She was only too glad that her violin case and bag was pinned to his broad chest as she felt the wind brushing past her from how fast he was going.

Raphael kept one tight hold on his passenger as he took another running leap and grabbed a hold of the next building, pulling himself up. He glanced down once, making sure she was all right with his sudden rush.

And he smirked seeing the rather excited smile on her face. She was enjoying this little ride, so he had no worries.

He pitched forward faster, making her squeak in surprise but a weak laugh told him that she was okay. He smirked again as he lept roof top to roof top and even climbed up the side of the building, wary of any lit windows.

It wasn't long before Raphael came to a halt on top of an apartment complex.

"We're here. Ya have a fire escape window?" The large turtle asked.

Still slightly out of breath from excitement, Elena nodded as she kept a good hold around his thick neck. "Fifth floor, um.......fourth from the corner stone of the building." She told him.

Raphael nodded before carefully clumbing down from the roof until he came to the fire escape outside her apartment. He hopped down from scaling all of the other ledges onto the metal grating, which groaned from his weight. "And here we are." He said before carefully setting Elena down, who had to lean against him for support from her shaking knees. "All right?"

Elena laughed weakly but nodded as she straightened herself out and turned to her window, feeling for it. "Ye-yeah. That was awesome though! I felt like I was flying! We have so got to do that again some time!" She said laughing and heard him laugh with her. Her smile faded a little as she felt her window not budging. "Oh, crap. My window is still locked."

Raphael snorted before lightly pushing her to he side. "Here, let me." He said before jiggling it alittle. It only took him a moment to get the window open. "So, I take it I'm invited to come visit now and then?"

Elena nodded as she felt for her open window only to have Raphael help her inside her apartmemt, guiding her with his hands. "Any time! You're my friend now! You can come visit me any time you want, Raph!" She told him excitedly.

"Then I'll catch ya later. For now, I better go see what the shell Leo wants." Raphael said patting her shoulder. He turned slightly to leave but paused. He turned back towards her. "So......uh, you didn't really tell anyone about me, did'ja?"

Elena grimaced and shrugged. "Just my friend, Casey. But just your name. He has no idea who you are or even how to find you. I mean, even if I did tell him about you, which I swear I won't, he'd never believe me that I know have an over six foot tall mutant friend. I won't talk about you to him unless you say I can. Cross my heart." She said making an X across her chest.

Raphael nodded. "Good. I'm not gonna tell the guys about you either. Not yet. Right now, they're kinda tense because we got word about Foot Clan activity in the city. So when you go out, ya either wait for me or your friend. Perferably me. I don' want ya to get hurt by them. They are evil." He told her.

Smiling, Elena nodded as she reached out for his hand, which she gave to her. She gave it a light squeeze before releasing him. "Take care, Raph. Hope to see you later, no pun intended." She said as she stepped back inside.

And then listened as Raphael began climbing up the building again to leave.

Just smiling, the blind girl closed her window and locked it again. She was just happy with the day's events, even if not all of it was pleasant. It ended well, and with a new friend. A very interesting and exciting new friend.

And she couldn't wait to see him again. No pun intended.


	6. Chapter Six

There was something weird going on. And all of them noticed immediately when Raphael met up with them on the roof top.

He was in a good mood.

Raphael was never in a good mood.

But nonetheless, he was in a good mood and it made Leonardo suspicious. Especially when his larger brother simply handed his com to Donatello without any grumbling. He tried to pry but Raphael completely ignored him, joking with Michaelangelo.

What made it even weirder was when Leonardo ordered them all back to the sewers since they saw no Foot activity, the large brother didn't even try and argue. He just went back without saying anything negative.

Yeah, something definitely happened but it didn't seem bad so......Leo decided to just ignore it. For now.

It made it that much more suspicious as the night wore on into the next day and Raphael decided to use Donatello's computers to look up some information. There had been quite an arguement on that piece between the Technical genius and the brawns of the brothers.

But after promising to not mess with anything, just research, Raphael won the argument.

Of course, Leonardo silently asked Donny what their large brother was looking up and had him hack into his own computer to find out.

"Uh.....actually he's looking up Ninjutsu techniques on Google. Blind Techniques, actually. Looks like he is taking his training more seriously then." Donatello told him.

Leonardo frowned but shook his head. "I don't like this. Raph's hiding something." He said mostly to himself.

Donatello looked over at him, raising his brow. "How so? Just because he might be wanting to train in blind Ninjustsu?" He asked as he clicked out of the hacking program.

The blue masked Turtled shook his head, frowning back. "No. Not that. I get why he'd want to know Blind jutsu. If something would happen to our eyes, we need to still be able to defend ourselves. But since when has Raphael ever wanted to study off of one of your computers? We already know Ninjutsu. All we have to do is blind fold our selves and train to be able to do that. Why look it up?" He asked before frowning ad jabbing his finger down on the desk. "And since when did he have a sudden change in his mood like he did last night? He was being his usual grumpy self when we even started on the patrols. And then he comes back being pleasant? No, something is up. He is up to something. And I am going to find out what it is."

Donatello sighed, shaking his head. "Leo, why not just ask Master Splinter to talk to Raphael? You know what happens when you do it. You both fight. It's better if you let Master deal with it." He said in a more suggestion like way.

Leonardo frowned looking away. He knew Donatello had a point. He should let Splinter handle this. He and Raphael butted heads too much as it was.

But......he was suppose to be the leader of the four. He needed to be firm. He needed to know what his brother was doing. He couldn't allow him to be doing stuff that would endanger his family. And not knowing was.

"No. Not this time. Donny, you are still repairing Raph's com, right?" Leonardo asked.

Donatello grimaced but nodded as he looked at his brother suspiciously. "Yes, why?" He asked in worry.

Leonardo gave him apolgetic look, knowing fairly well his brother wasn't going to like this. But Raphael wasn't giving him much of a choice. He wasn't being honest with the, and he was clearly hiding something. "I want you to add a tracker in his coms. That way we can keep an eye on where he is going." He told him.

"Are you nuts?! If Raph finds out about this, he's gonna be pissed!" Donatello yelped, cringing back away from Leonardo.

Leonardo sighed impatiently, shaking his head. "Yeah, well, if only Raph would tell us what he's doing and where he is going, we wouldn't have to resort to this. This is for his own good and ours. Besides, what if April and Vernon is right? What if Shredder is still alive? If he is, he will come after us again to get the mutangen formula from us. And Raph is off doing who knows what, it could be him who gets into trouble. We all fought that maniac and still had a hard time. It took all of us and April to take him out. Raph won't be able to fight him off by himself." He told him firmly.

Donatello sighed before slowly nodding. He saw Leonardo's point. He just really hoped that this wouldn't backfire on them. He knew that if or when Raphael found out, he was going to flip his shell. "Okay, fine. I'll do it. But if he finds out, I am blaming you." He told him, miserably.

Leonardo rolled his eyes but nodded in agreement. He would take the blame for this if, or rather when Raphael found out. He wouldn't push this onto Donatello, not that Raphael would do anything against him. He'd probably just throw another tantrum and then Master Splinter would have to pull them apart and calm them down from fighting any more. 

But....at least they would know where Raphael was going and what he was doing. He would know if his larger brother's actions would be endangering their family or not. 

If he was, Leonardo would put a stop to it. If he wasn't, he would leave it at that. 

Too bad that Leonardo didn't know that he and Donny had an eavsdropper. 

When night finally fell, the four Turtles were off, leaving for their nightly patrols of the city. They were once again working with April and Vernon on the matter, keeping in touch with each other through the com links. 

"All right. So last night was a flop. We didn't find anything at all. I still want to keep an eye on the hospitals. Unfortunately, there are a lot of hospitals in New York. There are even medical schools." April stated as she and Vernon drove down the street. "It is going to be hard to catch the Foot in action. But I think if we keep an eye on major ones, we might find out which hospital is being raided. So, we have the Mount Sinai hospital, Lenox Hill, Metropolitician Hospital and Roosevelt Hospital. Unfortunately they are well spread out. So it will put us at a distance from one another. They are around Central Park and the closest ones. From what I saw on the police reports, these are the four hospitals that were hit the most. I think we should split up again and figure out which one might be our Hospital that the Foot Clan will be at." 

Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo, and Raphael nodded as they stood on top of a roof, listening to what April was telling them. They agreed to splitting up but a secret look was passed between Leo and Donny. 

"Okay, we will split up. Mikey, you take Lenox Hospital. Don, Mount Sinai. Raph, you get the Metropolitician hospital and I will go check out Roosevelt. Radio contact and this time, Raph, stick to it." Leonardo said firmly. 

Raphael rolled his eyes, as well as his neck. "Yeah, yeah. I got it, Leo." He said grumpily before he booked it in the direction of the hospital. He wasn't in the mood to argue right now. 

Watching him go, Leonardo glanced at Donatello and nodded before he too left for his destination. 

Raphael moved about two blocks before stopping and plucking his com link off his bandana and prying it open. He took one look at the blinking light before prying that piece of machinary off and dropping it. "Heh, think I'm so stupid, Leo. Knew you were going to pull something like this sometime." He grumbled before running across the roof tops again. 

While he did have the intentions to go check out the hospital, he couldn't see why he couldn't put it off for a few hours. He wanted to check in on Elena before doing anything else.

Reaching the building, Raphael scaled down the wall until he found her window. He had to be very quiet as he went, seeing a few windows open. 

Upon reaching her window, he stopped from dropping down right on the fire escape. 

There was Elena, but she wasn't alone. 

There was a man in there with her. He was arguing with her and it did have Raphael on alert. But instead of jumping to conclusions, he listened in while keeping on his guard.

"Casey, will you relax?! It wasn't your fault! It was Richard's! And I am fine, okay?! I found my way home all right! I didn't get hurt or anything!" Elena was saying loudly from where she sat on her sofa, listening to Casey pace back and forth in front of her. 

"What if you had been, Elena?! What if you had been jumped again and I wasn't there to protect you?! God damn it! I am gonna bust your Ex's head wide open for this shit! I can't believe he even had the nerve!" Casey growled still pacing. 

Elena huffed before she blindly reached out for him, grabbing his arm when he passed by her. "Casey, stop pacing! Sit down and tell me what happened! What did Richard do?" She asked, yanking him to sit beside her. 

Sighing in frustration, Casey lounged on the sofa beside Elena, arm resting behind her head now. "The little shit went and got his arm broken and then he had the gull to call the cops and say it was me! He said I jumped him the other night! I was in fricken jail the entire night until I could bail myself out! Do you know how worried I was?! About you?! Alone in that fricken park, waiting for me to come get you?! I was nearly having a fricken heart attack over thinking that you were there all night!" He ranted. 

Elena gripped his arm tighter and smiled. "I'm okay, Casey. Nothing happened, all right? Calm down. See, look! Do you see any scratches or bruises? No one hurt me, Casey." She said reassuringly. 

Calming a little, Casey gave her a one armed hug before drawing back, looking suspicious. "How did you get home anyway? You obviously didn't home by yourself." He said warily. 

"Hey!" Elena said stiffly. 

Casey laughed, holding up his hands in his own defense. "Whaaaat? You always get turned around in Central Park! Remember that one time I had to come find you when you were going around in circles, in Columbus Circle? I sent a cop after you last night but he came saying you weren't there. He searched for hours, looking for you. So how did you get home?" He asked again. 

Elena hesistated, and Raphael inched closer to the window to listen closer. 

"It was your new friend, wasn't it?" Casey asked now not amused. 

Elena huffed and slapped his arm. "Leave it alone, Case. Yes, it was Raphael. So what? He found me wandering the park and he brought me home. Case closed." She said folding her arms. 

Casey grimaced but shrugged at the same. "So.....when do I get to meet this guy? I gotta know he isn't a freak going to....." he was saying. 

Outside, Raphael growled very low and clenched his fists. 

Elena, however, slapped Casey again in the arm. "Hey, don't!" She said warningly. "He isn't a freak and you are not going to meet him! He isn't exactly a people person. He doesn't really like people anyway. He doesn't trust people very well as it is. I barely have his trust. He does not need you going to bother him or his family. So leave it alone." She said firmly. 

For a moment, Casey stared at her before raising his brow. "Elles, do you even know what this guy looks like? Did he ever let you feel his face to know his image?" He asked suspiciously. 

Again, Elena hesistated before she slowly nodded. "Yes, I know what he looks like. And no," she interrupted him before he could even demand to know. "I won't tell you. Because you will just go looking for him and he just needs and wants to be left alone." 

"Dammit, Elles. I am just worried about you, okay? I just want to make sure he isn't some fre.....some guy who is going to hurt you like your Ex-douche bag did." Casey said warily. 

Elena sighed as she reached for his face, which he leaned into her hands when she did. She gently took his face and leaned her head against his. "It's not like that, Case. Just trust me. He is just a friend. He has no intentions of any sort. He is just a good person who people tries to hurt because he is different. He is like me, Casey. People see him different than they should. If he had any intentions of hurting me, he would have done it already. I have been completely alone with him three times now. He isn't going to try and rape me or anything." She said reassuringly. 'Plus, I highly doubt we are even physically compatible since he is a six foot, walking on two legs, talking mutant turtle.' She added only to her own thoughts. "Raphael is a good guy, Case. A good guy that needs to be left alone. Now, please, please just drop this." 

Casey sighed before taking both of her hands into his and gripping them lightly. "Okay, okay. Fine. I will leave him alone. I won't go looking for him any more. But promise me, Elena. If you ever get hurt because of this guy, you will not try and stop me from giving him what he deserves." He told her. 

Smiling softly, Elena shrugged. "Okay. But I doubt that you will have to. He is......he has a good heart, Case. I might not be able to see like everyone else does, but I can see that. And maybe.....well, maybe one day you will get to meet him and then you can see for your self. But until then, just trust me." She told him. 

"All right. I will trust you. But don't expect me to trust him. Not until he has my okay." Casey said before he lightly kissed her hand and stood up. "All right. I gotta go. I took a late night shift tonight. You not going to class tonight?" 

Elena shook her head as she felt him stand up from her sofa. "No. It's finals week. I have to stay here and study. Be careful, Case." She paused. "I......uh, heard rumors that Foot Clan is still at large." 

"Yeah, I heard something like that too. No worries, I got my bat." Casey said in amusement as he went and picked up a duffle bag that clinked. 

"Did you really bring your sports gear with you?" Elena asked in amusement. 

"Of course, little sis. After work, I like hitting the batting cages. Keeps me up on my game, darlin'." Casey said laughing. "Okay, I'll come back around noon tomorrow and take you to lunch. Have a good night and lock your fricken door. Like I need to have a stroke because you forgot to lock it and someone got in." 

Elena smiled as she stood up and blindly walked over to him, opening her door. "All right, all right. Just get to work before you're late again." She said, tilting her head side ways. 

Casey pecked her on the cheek then paused as he started to go. "Hey, remember to close your window. You can't leave that open at night. Especially with you having a fire escape." He told her before he turned and left. 

Elena had stiffened a little, turning her head towards her window. She hadn't recalled ever opening it. She never opened it unless it was really hot outside. She closed her door and locked it before turning to the window and slowly waking over to it. 

"You have a pretty decent friend there." 

Elena jumped, startled to hearing a voice from outside her window. She had to take a minute to register the voice before her face lit up and she went to the window, sitting on the sill, half way out. "How long have you been sitting out here?" Shr asked in amusement and embarrassment. 

Raphael huffed but smirked from the shadows where he was crouched. "Long enough to get the idea I might actually like your friend, Casey. He seems like a good guy, looking out for you. He acts like your brother." He stated. 

Elena smiled, her head tilting. "Yeah. Casey is a good guy. And he is like a brother I never had. He is a charmer, really. But he means well. Sorry for him, though. I am guessing you heard we were talking about you. Sorry." She said grimacing. 

"Nah, don't worry about it. He asked and you didn't have a choice but to say something. Thanks for not shelling me out though." Raphael said, meaning it. 

"Hey, you want to come in? Before someone sees you?" Elena said, moving back until she ws against her sofa. 

Hesistating, Raphael wondered if that was a good idea before he slowly crawled through the already tight window and entered her apartment. He moved away from it, watching as she moved forward again after listening to him enter. The floor boards creaked and groaned under his weight but not too much. He watched her close her window then draw the blinds shut, so not to have any nosey neighbors looking in. 

"So, came for a visit, did you? Want something to drink?" Elena offered now carefully moving around her apartment, heading into her kitchenette. 

"I'm good." Raphael said as he took in all of his sutroundings, eyeing pictures she had on her walls. He noticed one in particular was of a little girl and two people. A man and a woman. The woman looked just like Elena did. But the man shared her eyes. He was a strong looking human. Smiling, yet stern. Loving on being in the picture with the woman and girl. 

Taking a closer look, Raphael was surprised to see the picture was different from others. The outlines of the three in the picture were......almost 3D like. They were sticking out in fine details. 

"That is your mom and dad, right?" Raphael finally asked taking a closer look at the strange picture. 

"The one with the two people and a little girl?" Elena asked as she got herself a can of Diet Coke. She recieved an affirmative sound and she smiled. "Yeah, those were my parents and me when I was eight. That picture was taken five months before......." she cut herself off with a hint of sadness. She still smiled, though it was sad. "Well, before the fire. It was the last picture I took with my parents. We were going to get another taken soon but......it didn't happen." 

Raphael was quiet for a moment, feeling a little sympathy for her. He knew it still hurt her to think about her parents and losing them so early in her life. 

"Hey, so, why does it look so different? It's all popping out like life like and all." The large Turtle said instead. 

Elena smiled as she carefully moved over to his side and reached blindly up to the picture, now touching it. It didn't even have glass protecting it. "So I can see them. Here. Feel it." She told him. 

Raphael hesistated before he reached up and carefully placed one of his three fingers against it the picture. He felt.....the details of the people in the picture. He could literately feel the shape of their faces, feel the way they looked like. "Cool." He said slightly amazed. And paused when he felt his hand brush against Elena's. Then he pulled away, looking down t her. 

Smiling up at him, Elena dropped her own hand. "So, Raph. How much trouble did you get in last night?" She asked, wincing in an amusing way. 

Raphael snorted as he stepped back from her. "A lot. I got the usual, 'Where the shell were you? What were you doing?!' routine that I usually get. I didn't tell them though." He said with a slight laugh. 

"So, you're a real rebel, aren't you?" Elena asked jokingly as she popped open her can and drank from it. 

Grinning, Raphael bobbed his head. "Oh, yeah. That's me. I'm the trouble making rebel of our family. I just don' like being told what to do or what to say. Especially by Leo. He ain' that much older than I am. I know he's suppose to be the leader and all but I'm bigger than him. And I'm tougher. I should be the leader. But, nooooo. It has to be the little boy scout who was chosen." He grumbled. 

It couldn't be helped that Elena smiled as she used her other hand to go over to her sofa and she sat down, still facing Raphael. "Do you want to sit down?" She asked motioning to the couch. 

Raphael moved around the small living room and carefully plopped himself down on the floor, indian style. "Yeah, better not sit down on your couch though. I might break it. I weigh a lot, according to Donny." He remarked. 

Laughing, Elena carefully reached over and poked Raphael in the hard natural armored chest. "Yeah, you're a real fatty, huh?" She joked. 

Raphael snorted with his own laugh. "Hey! I am not! Nothing fat about me!" He flexed both arms, popping up his biceps. "This is all muscle!" He said laughing. 

Both laughed for a moment, enjoying their little joking around before Elena set her coke down, only nearly missing the table. She gasped as she felt her can falling and waited to hear the mess explode. 

But in lightning speed, Raphael reached out and caught the can from falling and making a mess before setting it on the table next to her. He didn't even spill any, with an exception of one drop. "Got it." He told her. 

"Thank you, Raph. I swear I am such a clutz. I always make a mess sooner or later." Elena said miserably, plopping her face into her hands. 

"Hey, you're blind. No one expects you to be perfect all the time. It's all cool. And no worries, sometimes I make a mess outta things too. And I can see. You should see Mikey, though. He is the biggest clutz of us all." Raphael said, smirking. "Like this one time, we were facing down some Foot clan and Mikey went charging in, beating 'em up and then the idiot tripped over his own feet and bowled them right over like bowling pins. He told us he meant to do that but we all knew he tripped himself." 

Elena laughed, shaking her head. "So he isn't a graceful ninja then?" She asked leaning her arms on her knees. 

"Definitely not. Mikey is always doing something weird or the other. He sometimes even eat pizza upside down while doing push ups. Heh. Then again I think we all do." Raphael said laughing in a rumble. 

"So, you like pizza, huh?" Elena asked in amusement. 

"Oh, yeah! Pizza is the shell! We always eat pizza! Hot smoldering cheeze, steaming pepperoni, plump olives! Love it!" Raphael said hmming in pleasure just thinking abput it. 

Elena grinned. "I will remember that next time then. If I actually had a phone I would order us a pizza to share then. But my phone lines are down right now and I don't have a cell phone. I wish the land lord would fix my phone line like I asked him to two weeks ago." She said now grumpy. 

"A lazy shell, huh?" Raphael asked. 

"Just a little. He is a nice guy. He really is. But he puts off his duties just to go watch TV. Sometimes I wonder if he even knows that he is still managing the entire apartment complex. Casey had to remind him a few times to get off his butt and do stuff around here." Elena said rolling her blind eyes. 

Raphael shrugged before shifting himself. "Yeah, well, if I knew how to do it, I would fix your phone lines. I'd have to ask Donny to do it. But......." he trailed off. 

"How much trouble would you be in for revealing yourself to me, anyway?" Elena asked now concerned. 

"Probably a lot. At the most part, I'd just get yelled at and I'd end up for the Hiyashi for a few hours. But other than, that's about it." Raphael answered. 

Curious, Elena tilted her head. "What's that?" She asked wonderingly. 

"What, the Hiyashi? It's kind of a time out room. Me and my brothers always have to do punishment tasks when we get into fights or sneak out of the sewers without permission. Master Splinter makes us do some weird stuff like......." he had to think for a minute. "Oh, yeah! Like I had to do splits on two legged chairs and knit a scarf once. And another time I had to one hand stands while balancing an egg on my foot. Leo had to balance empty pizza boxes on his head while reading recitations from our ninja hand book. Aaaand he had to balance himself on a ball." He told her, snickering. 

Elena laughed shaking her head. "So, that's how you're punished for doing stuff that you're not suppose to? Wow, sounds like you got it easy!" She said in amusement. 

"Heh! Right! Let's see you balance books on your head while doing pull ups on a high bar! Or how about standing on one foot and balancing eggs!" Raphael teased. 

"Hey! I can do it! Just because I am blind doesn't mean I can't!" Elena laughed back. 

Immediately, with speed and agility, Raphael was up on his feet and helping her to her feet, earning a surprised yelp. He reached and snatched up a book he saw on her book shelf. "Okay! Let's see it. Stand on one foot and I'm gonna put this book on your head. You have to do it for one minute, okay?" He said grinning. 

"Oh, really? Now I prove it?!" Elena laughed. 

"Yep, now do it!" Raphael snickered. 

Rolling her eyes, Elena held out her hands to help balance herself out and then slowly lift her left foot out behind her in an almost ballet dancer position. She wavered, however, making her hiss. 

Then slowly and carefully, Raphael placed the book directly on her head before stepping back to give her room. 

Elena only lasted for ten seconds before stumbling and sending the book falling with a thump. She almost fell over herself but the large Turtle caught hr and held her steady. She laughed, nonetheless and he grinned. "Okay, okay. Maybe I can't." She said with a child like pout. 

Raphael snickered before setting her straight and stepping back. "Hey, you wanna learn?" He asked her, surprisingly. 

Elena looked up in his direction, startled. "Learn what?" She asked confused. 

"How to hold your balance." Raphael answered. "I'll teach you. And I can even teach you Ninjutsu. So that way you can defend yourself when someone attacks you." 

Elena raised her eyebrows at him, in disbelief. "I'm blind, Raph. How in the world would I be able to learn how to fight? I can't even see where you are unless you're talking." She argued. 

"Yeah, so what? There are plenty of blind people who can larn how to do stuff. I read it up last night on Donny's computer. There is this one guy who is blind and he is a black belt in Karate. I watched Youtube videos of blind folks learning how to fight. Why can't you?" Raphael argued back, smirking as he folded his large arms. 

"I don't know, Raphael. I am not exactly......well, too confident in myself. Don't you have to have confidence in yourself to be able to do something like that?" Elena asked a little uneasy. 

Raphael shook his head as he stepped around her until he was directly behind her. He took her shoulders and brought her closer to himself until her back as pressed against his armored chest. Then he took her hands and held them from behind, shifting her into what would be a fighting position. "No, you don't have to be confident in yourself. Confidence is built by stepping out of your comfort zone and trying it out. If you don't at least try, you can't do it. Now, listen. What do you hear in your apartment?" He asked her before going completely quiet. 

For a long time, no words were shared. They just listened to silence. 

And then.......Elena heard it. 

She heard a low hiss of the heater turning on and blowing hot air. She heard light foot steps from above, her upstairs neighbors walking around. She heard the low rumble of her refridgerator. She heard.......a buzzing sound. 

Of a fly buzzing around in her apartment. 

And then, directing her hands, Raphael had her lash out, using his hand to force her hand to close around something. She was startled for a moment but it dawned on her what just happened. 

She caught the fly! It was buzzing in her hand, bouncing around in panic from being caught! 

"Whoa!" Elena breathed in surprise as she held up her enclosed fist, listening to the panicked fly inside. 

"See? You can do it!" Raphael said grinning as he released her and stepped back from her. 

Elena turned to face him, showingnhim her surprise bfore she opened her hand and released the fly. She couldn't help but smile brightly. "Okay now I'm intrigued!" She told him. 

"So you wanna learn?" Raphael asked grinning at her. 

Elena paused before nodding. "Yeah, I definitely want to learn now. Maybe you have a point. I do need to learn how to defend myself. Especially in a place like New York." She said before smiling. "When do we start?"

"Unfortunately probably not tonight. I got to go. I am suppose to be patrolling a hospital, looking for the Foot. We can start tomorrow. Sound good?" Raphael asked now making his way to the window. 

Elena followed his heavy foot falls and nodded as she listened to him ducking back outside onto the fire escape. "Okay, sounds good." She paused now frowning. "Patrolling a hospital? Why would the Foot clan be interested in a hospital?" She suddenly asked in a low voice. 

Turning in a low crouch, Raphael faced her. "My human sister, April, said that there were raids happening at hospitals. The Foot has been stealing machines and medicine. She thinks that there is a possibility that Shredder, the Foot Clan Leader, might still be alive. We have to find out. If he's still alive, that means big trouble for me and my family. He's gonna try and come after us for the mutangen in our blood. We will have to try and stop him if he tries and makes a comeback. He is dangerous and he almost destroyed the city once." He stated. 

Slowly nodding, Elena understood what he meant. "Okay. Welll.....be careful then. Stay safe." She told him. 

"Heh. Why? Safe is boring. Danger is where all the action is." Raphael said grinning before he stood up. "All right. See ya tomorrow night. Lock your window." He then leapt into the air and began climbing fire escape to fire escape in a strange way of staying quiet. 

Again, Elena listened to him go before smiling to herself and doing just that. She couldn't deny that she was excited now about learning how to fight. She wondered if it really was possible for her to be blind and defend herself. 

Only time would tell, with a little help from her new big, ninja friend.


	7. Chapter Seven

Leonardo was getting annoyed and more suspicious. He wanted nothing more to just go straight up to Raphael and demand him where he had been all night. It did not help the fact that he knew Raph had found the tracker in his comms after leaving it out on a roof top. He had asked Donatello if he could trace the trail of their brother's whereabouts and when the intelligent brother looked, he discovered that Raphael had only gone two blocks before dropping the tracker from their meeting point.

Suspicious, Leonardo had gone to investigate the roof after they, once again, found nothing on the Foot at the hospitals and he found the tracker. 

It aggravated him to non belief. 

Knowing Raphael was onto them, and probably had eavsdropped on his and Donny's suspicions about him, Leo would have confronted him. But that would mean another fight and then having to explain to Master Splinter why they were fighting and then that would cause more problems. 

No. 

Leonardo had to do this on his own. He had to know what Raphael was doing. What was his large brother up to? Was it going to endanger their family? He really hoped Raph wasn't that stupid and rebllious. He knew the large brother was smart. He proved that times over but the fact that he was hiding something from Leonardo and everyone else.......it was breaking the blue bandana turtle's trust. He was finding himself not trusting Raph. 

That was something that Leonardo did not want at all. He wanted to trust all of his brothers, Raphael especially. But if his large brother was hiding things, how could he trust him? 

Leonardo had to admit, even if he was doing it only to himself, his trust of Raphael was being shakened to the core and it was starting to make him question himself. Was he really that bad of a leader to have the brawns of their family hide things from him? That Raphael HAD to hide things from him? 

He really didn't like this. He needed to know and it was starting to make his shell curl with the distrust. 

It was time to take things more seriously now. It was time to rethink his strategy of how to find out what Raphael was doing and where he was going. But.....it wasn't good right now. They also had to find the Foot, find Shredder. All of the mistrust between both brothers were going to cause problems. They had too much to deal with. 

So, with a weary shell, Leonardo went to one person he thought might be able to help, even though he didn't really know him that well. But what choice did he have? 

"Hey, uh, Vernon. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Leonardo asked when the human camera man came in with April for another debriefing on the matter of the Foot. 

Taken aback, Vernon stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the mutant turtle like.....well, like he was seeing a mutant turtle for the first time. "Uh.....ye-yeah. Sure.....Lennard. What's up, man.....er......turtle.......? Shit." He cursed when he realized he sounded stupider than the turtles probably already thought of him. 

Leonardo grimaced before jerking his head towards the exit of the room and turning shell to walk out quietly so not to attract attention from everyone else while they were already crowded around the pizza boxes that the humans brought in. 

Vernon glanced over at April, who had noticed and was watching through confused narrowed eyes but then shrugged at him when she noticed him looking. He shrugged back and shook his head before following after the Leader. 

"So, uh, what's up, Lee?" Vernon tried again once they were in another room from prying eyes and ears.

"For one, it's Leonardo, not Lennard. If it is that hard to remember my name, just call me Leo." Leonardo said slightly irritated before he sighed and turned to face the already nervous human. "I kind of need your help with something."

Now, Vernon was really taken aback. He wasn't expecting that one. He had always believed that these guys, these mutant turtles never needed help from him. But here one of them was. Asking him for help. 

"Uh.....okay. I don't know what I can do to help. But I will try. Lay it on me, Leo." He replied. 

Taking a deep breath, and feeling a little relieved, Leonardo nodded before blowing out a sigh. "Look, Raphael, the big one," he emphasized who he was talking about, knowing that the human still didn't know who was who, even after six or seven months of knowing them. "He has been sneaking off during patrols for the Foot. I know he is hiding something from us. He won't tell us where he has been or where he keeps going and I don't like it. Now Donny, Donatello, the smart one, and I have been trying to figure out what he has been up to. We even put a tracker on him to find out and that didn't work. Now he is on to us and has been watching us closely since last night. I kind of need someone to......." he was saying. 

"You need someone he don't even care about or doesn't pay attention to to find out. I get'chya." Vernon finished in understanding, nodding. He placed his hands on his waist, looking thoughtful. "So, what do ya have in mind? I kind of doubt I can follow him. You guys are ninjas, right? So won't that be impossible for me to keep up with him?" 

Leonardo grimaced but nodded. "Most likely. I mean, if you can somehow follow him, that'd be great. But I think you will have a hard time doing that. Not without him noticing. So.....do you have any.......cameras that you can probably put on him? You know, to record his actions?" He asked uneasily. 

Vernon raised his eyebrows before he slowly nodded. "You mean, like spy cameras. Yeah.....actually, I do have something that might work. I have some equipment we can use that April and I used before when we were still working with the news network. Undercover stuff. I got the spy cams for her to help her do some undercover reporter work. We never got around to ising it. I actually have some in my van, just in case I ever needed to use it. Now the question is, how do we get it on without him noticing and where are we suppose to put it? You guys don't really wear clothes." 

Pausing, Leonardo had to think. He didn't know what.......

And then it hit him. 

A smirk formed on his face and he slowly nodded as he thought about it. "Actually, I have an idea. And since you have a hard time remembering our names, you can present it to us." Leonardo said slyly. 

Vernon gave him a blank stare. "Somehow, I don't think I'm going to like this very much." He murmured uneasily. 

 

It was later that night, just as the sun went down, the Turtles were preparing to head off to do their patrols of the city. They didn't really have any leads on the Foot this time but it was no matter. Patrols were patrols and they needed any kind of lead they could find. 

However, as the Turtles were about to leave, Vernon cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. Leonardo turned immediately with Donatello and eventually had to nudge Michaelangelo and Raphael to get their attention on the human. 

"Hey, uh, guys. Before you go, I kind of wanted to give you all something." Vernon said before pulling out four small boxes from his deep pocket and presented it to them. Each of the boxes had the first letter of their names on the top to show which belonged to who. 

"What's that?" Raphael grunted as he stepped closer, only to be slightly pushed aside, though by not without difficult by Michaelangelo. 

"Presents?! Awesome!" The orange clad Turtle sang snatching one up that had the letter M on it.

Vernon shrugged, not really looking any of them in the eye. "Just.....something. I always have a hard time remembering who is who with you guys so I got something to remember. They're lapels. Kind of cheap metal based painted gold but they should be nice." He stated. 

All four Turtles opened the boxes and there were tennis ball sized flat peices of gold metal in each box. Each had an engraved letter on them. One with L for Leonardo, one with a D for Donatello, another with an R for Raphael and the last had an M for Michaelangelo. 

"Oh, neato! Hey thanks......er.......guy whose name I never remember!" Michaelangelo said as he picked up his from the box and found that it was like a pin that he could put on his shoulder strap. He did it immediately too to show his appreciation. Though he earned a dead panned look from Vernon. 

Donatello, however, frowned as he picked up his before looking over at Leonardo, raising a brow. He knew fairly well that it wasn't Vernon who had these made. He did. He had made them. It was suppose to have been a surprise for the others. Only Leonardo had known about them because they had discussed it. 

Seeing the look, Leonardo cast a glance to Raphael, seeing the disgruntled, unimpressed look before looking back at Donny and holding up a thick finger to his lips. 

"That is really neat. Great idea, Vern." April had said smiling as she watched the guys pin their lapels on their straps. 

Vernon blushed a little, glancing at her before looking at Raphael, who had yet to put his on. He grimaced when the large brawny Turtle just stuffed his into a side pack he carried. That was according to plan. "Uh, don't.......don't you like yours, Ralph?" He asked before wincing when he recieved a look from the brawns of the four. 

"It's Raphael to you, human nerd. And it's okay. I"ll put it on later. Now can we just go! The Foot ain't waiting for us to find them while we're passing around presents." Raphael grunted sourly before he simply just headed to the exit. 

Everyone rolled their eyes or shook their heads before they just headed out to do the patrols. 

Once everyone was out on the roof tops, they immediately set out for the patrols. They had given each their patrol routes and set off. 

"Okay, guys. Let's hope we get lucky tonight. I know we haven't had a lot of luck finding the Foot but let's hope tonight is the night. If not, we are probably going to have to call it quits until we do hear something." April said over the radios. She was once again in the van with Vernon, who was messing around with something else in his lap. 

"All right, you know the drill. We will check out every where around the city. If you find any trace, radio it in. Do not approach any Foot member alone." Leonardo said firmly. 

"What, not going to give me the stick to the plan routine, Leo?" Raphael asked grumpily as he was already moving down his route......towards Elena's. 

Leonardo huffed on his radio, definitely irritated. "Raph, I wouldn't have to if you would just listen for once!" He said in annoyance. 

"Oh, here we go. I was starting to wonder if they would break their ten minute record of butting shells." Michaelangelo spoke up on his radio. 

"Shut up, Mikey." Raphael shot back. "This is going to be a long night. I'm out, losers." And his radio went dead. 

Leonardo growled in irritation before he went on to follow his patrol route. "Vernon, you ready?" He asked over the radio. 

In the van, April frowned at her partner, who grimaced at her as he fidded with the small screen on his lap, then hooked it up to the rear view mirror. "Yeah, just about. What's his route?" He asked as he set it up and started driving. 

"What are you taking about?" April asked now somewhat accusingly. 

"S'plain later, April. Give me a sec." Vernon muttered as he glanced at the small screen and saw only black. 

"He is suppose to be going to the Upper West side of Central Park. He has been choosing that patrol area for a week now. Keeps saying he wants to do it. So whatever he is up to, it has to be over there." Leonardo said over the radio. 

April sucked in her breath before she gave Vernon a very serious, narrowed eyed look, who cringed. "Oh, my god. Are you serious, Leo? You're spying on him now?!" She turned sharply to her partner and slapped his arm. "And you! How did you wind up in......?!" She was demanding. 

"April, please don't start. If Raph would just be honest, we wouldn't have to resort to following him around." Leonardo said wearily. 

"Oooooh, he is going to be pissed when he finds out." Michaelangelo sang out all of a sudden. 

There was a pause, as if all of them were waiting for the final blare of rage from Rapbael, but it didn't come. They had been expecting it any second. 

But.....nothing. 

"Raph? You there?" Leonardo tried but recieved nothing. "Raphael? Donny, you read?" 

"Yeah, I read, Leo. And I am looking at the com stats. Oh, shell. Looks like Raphael's coms are down again. What is the deal?! I just fixed it last night too! Okay, you know what! I am really starting to think that there is electrical interference with Raph's com! Whatever is in the Upper West keeps messing it up!" Donatello said now irritated. 

"Okay, we are heading that way now. We will see if we can't see him eventually. I think...hey. My cam is still on. I can see the inside of Roger........" Vernon was saying. 

"Raphael." Four voices said blandly, all from the other three Turtles and April 

"Whatever. I think I can see the inside of his pack. I won't have very much visual but I think I have sound." Vernon said as he turned the volume up on the screen, while paying attention to the road at the same time. 

At first, he just got static before he heard the deep growls of the brawny Turtle. It was obvious he was in a dead run on the roof tops. His heavy foot steps could be heard and he kept grunting loudly as he jumped roof to roof. 

"You actually have a spy cam on Raph? How in the shell did you.....oh. Right. The lapel you gave him." Donatello stated. 

Suddenly there was static again and nothing but. 

"What?! Oh, come on!" Vernon said before the screen flashed a warning. "Ugh! Looks like Don is right. There is electrical interference in the Upper West. I'm gonna have to do this manually." He said as he drove on. "I think the closer I get to the cam, I should be able......" 

"Vernon! Look out!" April suddenly shouted her hands thrown out to catch herself on the dash. 

Vernon swore as he saw a man crossing the street, who jumped back, obvious swearing as he shook what looked like a hockey stick at the van as it kept going. "Sorry!" He shouted out the barely open window. He frowned, still looking in the side mirror and kept driving. "Was that guy wearing a hockey mask? Talking about creepy Jason Vorhees wandering New York City, only shorter and scrawnier." 

April slapped him upside the head for his stupidity. 

Raphael was in a bad mood when the night started. But as he got closer to Elena's, his mood was softening up. He couldn't wait to get started tonight on training her in the Ninjutsu arts. He didn't know where to start. He knew he couldn't start with the hard stuff. He would definitely have to start with easy stuff. 

Where did he first start out when he was younger? Wasn't it with the simple stuff like kicking and punching? 

No.....he knew they did. But it was also the sense of balance they needed to start at. And strength. They were not the most graceful when they started out. And Raphael knew because Elena was lind, she would need to start there. She would need to find her balance first. She needed to know her surroundings. To pinpoint where things or people were. 

There was a game that Raphael remembered seeing some kids playing that dealt with being blind. He remembered watching them try and search for others while being blind folded and they had to guess where they were. 

It had been called Blindman's Bluff. 

Raphael nodded to himself as he approached his human friend's apartment. He would have to start there. He would have to help Elena find some balance in her life, to hear things, to find them. That was where they would start. 

Coming to her roof top, the large Turtle began climbing down to her fire escape, ready to just drop down and make noise to let her know that he was there.........

And he had to stop himself from doing it. 

Elena was home, of course, probably waiting for him to come visit but like the night before, she wasn't alone. 

But this time, it wasn't her friend, Casey. 

This time, it was this really fancy looking guy standing before her, wearing an extremely clean and fancy looking suit. He was a tall man in a completely black suit, fancy black tie, shiny black shoes. He had nice cut dark hair and dark eyes. His face was clean shaven and he did look a good deal older than Elena. He must have been in his fifties at least. 

But what sent Raphael's shell in a curl was the fact that he looked like he was belittling Elena. She did try and look calm but there were tears in her eyes and she was nodding frantically to whatever he was saying. She looked......frightened in a way and Rapharl did not like that at all. 

Moving slightly closer, the large turtle tried to listen in and it wasn't too hard to hear what the man was saying. 

"........foolishness of music. And further more, you will stop embarrassing me by continuing your idiotic goals of becoming a musician! You are not good enough, Eleanor! Do you want to have people laugh at you?! Do you want to be made fun of just like you were in Private school?!" The man was saying too coldly for Raphael's likening. 

 

Shakily, Elena had shook her head, blinking rapidly to avoid the tears from falling. She knew she couldn't cry. Not in front of him. He never did sympathasized for crying. He actually did worse. "N-no, sir. I......I don't. But the music is my life, sir! I love doing it! I want to find a career in......." she was saying. 

"Then you are an idiot, Eleanor! If you really think people will want to see you playing your violin on a stage, not being able to dance or sing to your music, then you are a complete fool! The people nowadays do not care about people like you! Blind people, dumb people, deaf! It doesn't matter! They are all the same in this god forsaken city! They don't care who or what you are, Eleanor!" The man said harshly, his hands folding behind his back. "And it is about time that you got that through your stupid, little head!" He ignored the flinch he had caused. "If you want to be useful in anyway, you will do something more productive. I am offering you a chance to become something. And you will take it." 

Elena trembled, head bowing down. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want that. She knew it might be something worthy in life but it wasn't something she wanted. She remembered the pain she endured while in THAT house. She remembered all of the cold hands on her, the sharp bits of metal pushing into her veins, taking medication she was given but always ending up sick. She didn't want that. 

The nightmares.......she didn't want the nightmares to come back. She wanted them to stay away. She couldn't......she just couldn't do it. 

Slowly, and shakily, Elena shook her head. "I......I ca-can't, Uncle Vincent. I just can't do that again. I just.......it hurt the first time." She whipped up her head when she heard him growl in aggravation. "I am not......I am not going to do it again. I ran away the first time because I couldn't take it! I quit, sir! I am not doing it again!" She said more boldly but still frightened. 

The man narrowed his eyes at her before turning away from her, hands dropping to his sides. "Then you will have no support by me, Eleanor. You are a fool just like your father was. Marrying a little nobody teacher who taught snot nosed brats!" He snapped, making her flinch again. "Having a mistake like you!" Another flinch. "You are pathetic and useless, Eleanor! The day you lost your sight ensured you that! Well, I have had it! If you do not return to the facility, allow us to use you as a test subject, you will never be restored your sight! We even found the serum to do that! But if ypu want to waste away your life, living paycheck to pay check, having NO FAMILY to back you up, that is your problem now! You are no longer family to me! You are a nobody!" He spat before turning to the door and swinging it open, where there were two men waiting, almost guarding the door. "We are returning to the mansion! We will not be returning to this.....dump hole again! Good luck with your life, Eleanor! Maybe one day, you will be on the news as a cadaver who turned up having fallen into the sewers like trash that you are!" 

And the door slammed shut, hard and loud. 

Elena had jumped, the tears springing out in a flood. She covered her face, cirling into herself and allowing her hair to fall around her like a curtain. She was trembling badly at that encounter. It was never easy to see that man when he came for rare check ins with her. 

As she cried, Elena became aware that there was someone else in the room with her. She stiffened and lift her head slowly, listening hard. 

And then se heard a heavy foot fall, one she was becoming familiar with now. She breathed unsteadily and didn't even flinch when she felt a three fingered hand carefully place itself on her back, rubbing softly as if being comforting. She pressed into the hand, her head tilting towards her friend. 

Raphael stooped down onto his knees and carefully gathered the distraunt girl up his arms, bringing her into a warm embrace. "Who the shell was that asshole?" He rumbled as he allowed her to fall into his embrace, trying to comfort her as best as he could. 

Sniffing and wiping tears, Elena shook her head. "My uncle, Vincent Harker. He was my father's brother. He.......he frightens me every time he comes to visit. And that doesn't happen alot. He......he.......took me in when my parents died. He raised me. But.......he was always so cold towards me. He always treated me like I was invading his house. He never treated me.......like I was family." She said shakily. 

"He ever hurt ya?" Raphael growled, still rubbing circles on her back while rocking her a little, remembering that sometimes that helped. 

Elena sniffed but nodded, her blind eyes closing as she pressed her head against the large Turtle's hard biological armored chest. "Sometimes. He always talked down to me, made me feel small, like a bad kid. And sometimes he did......" she whimpered at the memories, curling tighter into the brawny arms surrounding her. "He punished me for things that I did or could not control." 

"Like what?" Raphael growled, his arms tightening around her. He got the idea of what kind of punishments she might have endured. And he did not like it at all. 

"Sometimes........he locked me in my room. Sometimes he would beat the shit out of me. Most of the time, he made me go down into the labs." Elena said quietly. 

Raphael stiffened, his head jerking down to look at the smaller trembling form. "He's a doctor? Like Sacks?" He asked voice harder than his shell. 

Slowly, Elena nodded. "Scientist, inventor. If I remember right, he did work with Sacks a few times in the past. But I heard a deal went bad and they cut each other off. They became rivals. I......." she cut herself off. 

"He said you were a test subject." Raphael said, his voice harder. 

Again, Elena slowly nodded, her face burning with shame and distress. "Ye-yes. When I was younger, my uncle would make me go to the labs. There.......I was.......forced to endure a lot of things. They needed......they needed test subjects to test some of their stuff on. My uncle made me do it. Because I was useless in everything else. He said that this way I can be uselful. I had to take certain drugs for them and they made me really sick. I was injected with them and even worse. I think a couple of times, I came pretty close to dying. But he.....my uncle always saved my life. He injected some medicine in me that would counter act what they put in me before. He always told me that what I was doing would save lives. I would be a hero. It didn't stop the nightmares though. One day.....in Private School......I just couldn't take it any more. I told him I quit as soon as I graduated. He was so angry. I had to run away, coming to New York." She said shakily. 

Raphael pulled slightly away and used one hand to lift her face, frowning. "Why didn't ya ever report him? What he was doing to you was wrong, Elena! And if he is still doing it.......!" He was saying. 

Tears slid down Elena's face as she listened to him but she shook her had. "He is a rich man, Raphael. He is filthy rich. He owns one of the most prestigious Medical companies in New York. Without his medicines, his drugs, a lot of people would die. He does save lives, Raph." She argued with him. 

"Sounds like he ruined yours." Raphael shot back. 

Flinching slightly, Elena pulled away, staring upward at him with blank eyes. "You don't know what he......" she was saying to defend her uncle. 

"No, I don't know what he has been doing. But I do know what Sacks did. And he very well nearly destroyed this entire city by using a very deadly drug or maybe it was a sickness. And if your uncle had anything to do with Sacks, he might have had something to do with The Foot, Elena. Sacks did! So why not your uncle?" Raphael said still sitting there, arguing. 

Blinking several times before Elena started breathing quickly. "Ra-Raphael.........I can't do that. I can't turn him in. He is a powerful man. If anything happens to him, if he does have anything to do with The Foot, I am the one who will take the blame. I can't do that! I'm scared!" She said fresh tears now forming. 

The large Turtle carefully took her face into his hands and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "You don't have to be, Elena. Ya got me, remember? I'll protect ya. I promise." He told her. 

Sighing shakily, Elena shook her head. "I.......not until we know, Raphael. We can't turn him in until we know. If he doesn't have anything to do with The Foot and we said he did, and he finds out that I even accused him for being a part of the Foot like Sacks was......he is going to kill me." She told him. 

"Over my dead shell, he will." Raphael growled before he stood suddenly and grabbed her hand, lifting her up to hers. "I'll sic April on him. She can find out if he has anything to do with The Foot. And if she finds anything, it will be game over and you don't ever have to be afraid of him again. I promise." 

"Who......who is April, anyway? How could she ever find out about my uncle and how did.....?" Elena was saying, dumbstruck nonetheless. 

"Her name is April O'Neal. I guess she is a......" 

Elena's face paled a little and she widened her eyes, mouth fallen. "April O'Neal? THE April O'Neal?! The Reporter from the news? I thought she only did reports on morning news like traffic and going to special news sites." She said flabbergasted. "I kind of always thought she.....er......was a little daft." 

Raphael snorted a laugh, shaking his head. "She was a reporter for the news. She kind of does her own thing now. I mean, she still orks for a news company but she does simple stories like she used to. But she ain't stupid. Not by a long shot. She figured out about us and how we even had a connection to her." He saw a blank look on her face. "Yeah.....apparentally we used to be her......." 

Dawning formed on Elena's face as she realized something. She grabbed his arm, surprise on her face as she thought long and hard. "Wait a minute......Doctor Kirby O'Neal. April's father.........wasn't he Doctor Kirby O'Neal?" She asked her face lifting again. 

Taken aback, Raphael shrugged. "I guess. I dunno. Why?" He asked cautiously. 

Elena turned her face away, her breath taken away. "I remember. My father, before he died......he said something about Doctor O'Neal. He was suppose to have talked with Doctor O'Neal. He said he had to talk to him. Something about something Doctor O'Neal told him. But then Doctor O'Neal died and he never did." Her head lifted up and she looked at him with her blank eyes. "Raph........my father and mother died in a fire! Someone had spilled gasoline in our home and they died!" 

"Because he might've knew something." Raphael said now looking at her in realization. "Doctor O'Neal, April's dad died in a fire." 

"They're connected. They have to be!" Elena said her breath taking on to hyperventilating. 

"Ah, shell." Raphael groaned now turning away from her and began pacing. He did not look happy at all. "That means I got a lead on The Foot now. It might be an empty lead but it still is one." He looked over at her, debating long and hard with himself before he sighed. "I have to tell them." 

"Tell the what? Who?" Elena asked uneasily. 

Raphael turned to face her, his whole large frame straighten until his head nearly touched the ceiling. "I have to tell them what we just said. But it ain't gonna be easy. I need you to tell them. My family. Want to meet them now? I didn't want to do this so early but I ain't a choice now. They're gonna be pissed the shell off. But they have to know. Leo and Donny's been snooping and I think it's putting some strain on us. This is really gonna blow Leo's shell. But......he has to know." 

Slowly, Elena nodded, her own frame straightening. "Okay. Let's go meet your family, Raph." She told him, firmly. 

 

"Hey, uh, Leo, Don, Mikey." Raphael finally contacted his brothers on the coms. 

Leonardo stopped dead from where he was patrolling. He was relieved to hear from Raph after an hour of silence from him. But he was still aggravated. "About time, Raph. What, you done throwing a fit and giving me the silent treatment?" He asked in annoyance. 

"Shut up, Leo!" Raphael growled back through the coms before heaved a heavy sigh and that made Leonardo stiffen. "We......uh, need to have a family meeting back home. I need to tell you something." 

Oh, that did not sound good.

Leonardo steeled himself but looked off towards the streets of New York. "What did you do, Raphael?" He asked cooly. 

There was a pause. 

"See ya at home, Leo. You can yell at me later. But this is about The Foot. Master Splinter needs to hear and see this for himself." Raphael answered just as coolly before ending radio contact. 

Swearing, Leonardo slammed a fist against a stone wall and huffed. He wasn't going to like this, he knew it. There was going to be a fight tonight. But.......at least he might know what has been going on for the past week now. "Donny, Mikey, April, Vernon, let's go back home. Let's go find out what the shell Raph did." He sad firmly before turning shell and heading straight to the edge of the building to find a sewer manhole.


	8. Chapter Eight

Things were really tense in the room as they waited on Raphael to show up. Everyone had arrived back home and were now just waiting. There had been some questions about what Raphael knew about The Foot or what he wanted to talk about. There were some guesses but no one knew if they were right. 

All they had to do was wait. In aggravation. 

"Where the shell is he?! He should have been back by now!" Leonardo said as he paced in the main room, looking quite restless. 

"Patience, Leonardo. Raphael will return." Master Splinter said as he sat in what was a lotus position on a small raised platform. "He must have a reason why he is taking his time." 

"Yeah, Leo. You know, Raph. He is probably taking his time just to piss you off anyway. Or blowing off steam before he....ehhhh!" Michelangelo was saying before cutting off at the look Leonardo gave him. 

Sitting on the couch with Vernon, and keep inching away from him, April bit her nails nervously. "You guys, don't. We are already under a lot of pressure as it is. And if Raph said he has news on The Foot, then he is probably thinking of how to tell us. So relax." She told them.

Master Splinter nodded in agreement as he folded his gangly claws together. "April O'Neal is right. Raphael will return to us when he is ready. Whatever happens next must be in peace. Not anger. Leonardo, sit. Be patient and wait." He said calmly. 

Leonardo sighed but went over to sink down next to his adopted father. He knew that he was probably right. He had to take this calmly. But what if it was bad news? What if it was Shredder? And he was alive? 

Finally, what seemed forever, the large door to their home opened and Raphael appeared but hovered in the door way, as if shielding something. He remained standing there while everyone else looked at him in apprehensive. He waved a short wave at them, leaning against the door frame. "Sorry it took me so long, Master Splinter." He said not moving. 

"Raph! Where have you been? What did take you so long?" Leonardo said now shoving himself to his feet. 

Raphael gave him a look. "Don't start, Leo." He growled, his eyes narrowing. 

"Well, I just did! Where the shell have you been and why did you call us back home?! Did you find The Foot or not?!" Leonardo argued, starting to move forward. 

"Guys, don't!" April called out wearily as she stood up. "Stop fighting."

"No, I didn't exactly find The Foot, Mister Glorious Leader! But I might have a lead! So shut the shell up and listen!" Raphael growled, his whole frame stiffening at his brother's approach. He didn't seem to like him getting too close right now. 

"You might have a lead? You called us back home because you might have a lead?! You don't do you?! Raphael! For shell's sake........!" Leonardo exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. 

Raphael was tensing up, his frame curling a little as if turning defensive. He was starting to coil tightly as if getting ready to strike as Leonardo moved just a little closer and he didn't stop the growl from exiting his throat. "Leo, I am warning you. Don't!" He was growling. 

"Don't what......?!" Leonardo was saying now realizing there was going to be a physical fight in a second to match the verbal one.

"Enough!" Master Splinter spoke up, his voice echoing off the walls like a siren and silenced both brothers from continuing. He turned his eyes to Raphael and he sat up straighter, ears twitching as if he was listening hard. His tail even uncurled slightly and moved beside him. "Raphael, who is that behind you?" 

That stopped everything and eyes widening to look at Raphael, who had tensed up a little more. Almost everyone sucked in tense air, looking uneasy. 

Raphael shifted almost nervously for a moment before he turned only slightly, reaching behind his shell as if grabbing something. He paused for a moment then slowly tugged at something. He turned his head a little, looking behind him. "It's okay. You can come out. Come meet the family." He said in a low rumble. 

There was a timid breath before slowly, someone appeared, being guided by the large Turtle. It was a small, young woman. 

And seeing her, everyone stiffened, eyes widening and Michelangelo actually squeaked and dropped his bag of potato chips he had been eating out surprise of seeing this new face. 

"Uh......h-hi?" Elena said her head tilting slightly and she managed a weak smile. 

"RAPH!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Leonardo suddenly shouted, looking angrily at his slightly larger brother. 

The young woman flinched at the sound of his angry voice and stepped closer to Raphael, who wrapped an arm protectively around her, growling. She was obviously nervous, slowly growing afraid. 

"Whoa! Dude! Raphael brought home a girl!" Michelangelo gasped, pointing at the girl. He then grinned. "Hey! She is cute! Nice, Raph!" 

Elena's face flushed at that and Raphael growled at his youngest brother. 

"Oh, man. This isn't good." Donatello murmured, pushing his glasses up on his flat nose. 

"Raphael, what the shell?! Who is she?! Why did you bring her here?! What the shell were you thinking?! Let me guess! You weren't thinking, were you?! You have blown our secret to someone we don't even know!" Leonardo was yelling. 

Raphael growled, his arm tightening around Elena. He could feel her shaking now and it didn't take a lot to figure out that she was getting scared. "Shut up, Leonardo! You're scaring her!" He growled. 

There was a sudden snap of a whip and everyone, Elena especially jumped at the sound. They all looked at Splinter as he stood up, his tail uncurling. He did not look pleased. "Leonardo! Be silent now." He warned before waving his tail to beside him. "Sit." 

"But......!" Leonardo tried again. 

"Sit down, Leonardo and listen to Raphael explain." Splinter said firmly before looking at Raphael. "Raphael, bring her closer. Allow me to see her closely." 

Feeling Elena shaking against his side, Raphael looked down at her and carefully placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Elena. That's Master Splinter, my dad. He ain't gonna hurt you, 'kay?" He said calmly, surprising everyone. He then carefully made her let him go, setting her hands against the door frame before jumping the short five foot drop into the room. "Reach down. It's a five foot drop. Give me your hands." He instructed. 

Shakily, Elena nodded before carefully reaching down until her hands were in Raphael's. She slid them down to his shoulders while he reached up, cupping her waist and helped her down. 

Everyone watched in surprise as Raphael helped her down and even as he did, his hand never strayed from touching her, almost guiding her as he slowly brought her closer to Splinter, whispering instructions of where to put her feet. 

"Whoa, wait a second." Vernon was the one to speak up, making the girl flinch. His eyes were narrowed, just like everyone else's as he watched carefully. "Is she blind?" 

Raphael shot him a look but the girl smiled nervously in his direction, slowly nodding as if to answer. "Ye-yes. I am." She said in a timid voice. 

Jaws dropped in shock again. 

"The......" April's face changed in realization and she looked squarely at Raphael, who sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Raph, really?" 

"What?" The large Turtle answered as if he was accused of something devious. 

"The broken blind stick found in that alley. It was hers, wasn't it?" April asked blankly, her arms now folding impatiently as she shifted. "I thought you said that that girl didn't see you." 

Laughing nervously, Elena turned her head towards April. "Well, technically I didn't see him." She said, coming lightly to Raphael's defense, who snorted as he kept a hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards Splinter. 

April raised a brow but quirk her lips into an almost smile. She still looked just as irritated as everyone else though. "Okay. But he didn't tell us that he actually talked to you either." She said firmly. 

Elena grimaced, pressing into Raphael's side as he growled, giving April an annoyed look. 

"Guys, Master Splinter, April, this is Elena Harker. She is.....kind of my new friend." Raphael said now introducing her to everyone as he stopped them both in the center of the room. 

Again, Elena waved nervously, her head tilting this way and that as if searching for any kind of sound. 

"Raphael," Master Splinter spoke up and the girl turned towards him with her large friend. "You should have told us that someone discovered your existence. Unable to see or not." 

Raphael grimaced, rubbing his head from behind again. "Eh.......actually, I kind of......went to talk to her first." And he hurriedly started talking again when Leonardo scoffed loudly as if about to say something. "Look, I saw her before, okay? When I went on my patrol when we were testing out Donny's comms!" 

“Hey! Is she that girl that Mikey dropped a bit of roof on a week ago?" Donatello asked now surprised.   
Everyone, even Elena looked surprised. 

“Wait.....that was you?" Elena asked, now tilting her head up at Raphael. "Were you following me?" She now sounded amused. 

Raphael grunted, sheepishly before shaking his head. "No. We just ended up at the same place. Anyway," he turned back to Splinter. "Some pathetic losers were being mean to her because she was blind. I helped her out. She didn't see me. I saved her form those one guys in the alley because I heard them planning on jumping her. What was I suppose to do? Just let them?! Come on! We said we were gonna protect the city and she couldn't defend herself. I wasn' gonna let some freaks hurt her!" He argued. 

Leonardo started to say something but Splinter held up his clawed hand to silence him. "No. You did very well, my son." He interrupted. "You were right in saving her." He looked back at Elena. "Elena Harker, Leonardo is right though. We do not know you. Raphael should have told us about you." 

Raphael sighed irritably but it was Elena who gripped his arm, silencing him. "No, you're right. You don't know me. You don't trust me. But like I said to Raph, I promise I am not going to say anything to anyone. I am not going to blow your secret." She said firmly. 

There was a pause before it was April who asked. 

“Why? There are large, mutant turtles and a mutant rat in New York City. Don't you want to be famous for exposing them?" 

Elena turned towards her, smiling. "Why didn't you, April? You're a reporter. You had so much to gain from doing it." She said lightly. 

April raised her eyebrows but smiled forcefully. "They are a part of my family. Family looks after one another. We don't turn our backs on family." She stated firmly. 

Nodding, Elena smiled even more, her hand softly rubbing the irritated Raphael's arm. "I don't have a family. The only one I have left turned his back on me. But I am not going to destroy another's family, no matter who or what they are. I will take this secret to my grave. I owe Raphael that much. He saved my life because I am just a blind girl. Even if I told anyone, who would believe me about four mutant, teenage ninja turtles and their mutant rat father being in the sewers of New York City? What, Eric Sacks? I am not in the liberty of talking to that asshole. Not after what Raphael told me that he did to you guys." 

“Just how much did you tell her, Raph?" Leonardo asked irritated again.

Raphael growled at him before looking back at Splinter. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Master Splinter. I guess I just wanted to be selfish just this once." He was saying. 

“This once?" Leonardo grated out, glaring at him. 

Raphael shot him a look but stopped again when Splinter held up his clawed hand for silence. 

The mutant rat finally stepped down from the platform, moving closer to Elena. "Elena Harker, step forward without Raphael." He said calmly. 

Elena tensed up, gripping Raphael's arm but she felt him shift. She tilted up her head as if searching for his face. "Ra-Raph?" She asked uneasily. 

“It's okay, Elena. He won't hurt you." Raphael said reassuringly before lightly pushing her forward until she was a good foot away from Splinter. 

Turning back to Splinter, sensing him there, Elena bowed her head just a little, trying to look as respectful as she could. "Sir?" She asked softly. 

A small smile formed on Splinter's face as he observed her carefully, seeing the slight tremble in her body. He knew she was nervous. He could smell the small amount of fear but.....there was respect on her face. He stared deep and long into her blank eyes. "You mean what you say, do you not? You will not speak of us, will you?" He asked in a soft tone. 

Elena slowly smiled in his direction and nodded. "Like I said, Sir. I am not going to be the one who will destroy your family. It would be wrong of me. And that's not fair to you. Just because you guys are different from others, from humans doesn't mean you can't feel love for family. And just by what Raphael did for me, you guys are doing humans a favor. You're fighting evil. Trying to protect people you don't know or don't owe anything to. Who am I to take that away from you? And because I am blind and I do live in New York, I really only have two friends. My friend, Casey and Raphael. I don't turn my back on friends. I won't betray him by exposing all of you." She told him softly. 

There was an almost awed hush before Splinter smiled and stepped back from her, looking over at Raphael. "She is welcomed here, my son. I believe she is trustworthy. You have decided well." He told him. 

Grinning, Raphael stepped forward and put his hand on Elena's shoulder to let her know he was there. He turned only slightly to his brothers, almost looking expectantly at them for what they had to say about the whole thing. "Well?" He grunted at them. 

Michelangelo grinned and shrugged at the same time. "I got no prob with it. It's about time we got some more girls in the crew, Dude. And she is totally cute too!" He suddenly looked frantically at April, who was trying not to laugh on how red Elena just went at his words. And how Raphael as glaring at the youngest brother. "Though I still love you, babe!" He added quickly. 

“I don't mind." Donatello spoke up, pushing his glasses up again. 

Raphael snorted in humor before looking at Leonardo, who looked back. "Well, Leo?" He asked grounding his words a little. 

Leonardo turned his eyes onto Elena then nodded. "If Master Splinter okays her, then she's okay. Welcome to the group, Elena." He greeted before looking back at Raphael. "Raph, you said you had a lead on The Foot. What does she have to do with them?" He asked nodding to Elena. 

Raphael grew serious as he looked over at his older brother before he looked back down at Elena. "Elena, let's sit you down. This is gonna take a while." He told her and at her nod, he lead her over to the couch and sat her down on it. He turned back to everyone else, who were now down to business serious, all sitting down and watching him. "I wasn't gonna tell you guys about Elena for another few days or somewhat but something we were talking about before kind of made me have no choice." He sank down to his knees next to Elena, sitting beside her. "Elena, you're probably better at this explaining stuff. Tell them about your uncle." 

Slowly, Elena nodded as she tilted her heads him before turning her face straight again. "Raphael thinks my uncle, Vincent Harker might know something about The Foot. He might......be working with them." She told them and felt the tension spring up in the air all around her. 

“Wait a minute. Vincent Harker? The Vincent Harker, owner of Harker Pharmaceuticals?" April asked now stiffening as she went over to sit down next Elena, who turned in her direction. "Harker Pharmaceuticals is a massive medical company in New York. How would he have something to do with The Foot?" 

Elena hesitated before she tilted her head again towards April. "My father was a police detective, April. He died with my mother when I was nine years old. Nine years ago." She now looked directly at April, who looked surprised. "They were murdered, I believe, in a fire. Someone tried killing my whole family. My father knew yours, April." She told her carefully. 

April stiffened, her eyes widening in surprise, her whole body tense. "Wh-what?" She asked uneasily. 

Elena slowly nodded as she took a deep breath. "I remember my father talking about it to my mom once. Before your father, Doctor Kirby O'Neal, was killed, my father was suppose to talk to him about something. That is your dad, right?" She asked, pausing. 

“Ye-yeah. That was." April answered. 

Again, Elena slowly nodded. "My father was investigating Eric Sacks. And I think he was even investigating The Foot. I barely remember all of this but I do remember some. My father knew something was wrong with Eric Sacks. He knew that there was something about him that was dangerous. He was always talking about it. Before your father died, he was suppose to meet with Doctor O'Neal about something. But then the fire at Sacks Industries happened and he never got the chance. My father didn't stop looking though. He was constantly hounding Eric Sacks, trying to find out what he was up to. I think he was even investigating the fire that killed your dad, April. I think......I think he found out what happened. I remember the day he came home, excited about something. And not in a good way. He came home the day our fire started, telling my mom we had to pack everything up. They wanted to send me away from here. To a distant aunt or something. I don't know. But he wanted my mom to take me and leave the city. We were going to do the very next morning. But that night, we had the fire that killed my parents." She even held up her hands, showing April the burn scars she had on her palms. 

Slowly, April nodded before taking Elena's hands and placing them both between them, giving her hands a gentle, comforting squeeze. "What does this have to do with your uncle?" She asked carefully. 

Elena shook her head, feeling only a twinge of fear but a hand, a three fingered hand on her right arm was comforting. "My uncle used to work with Eric Sacks. They were partners, I think fifteen, sixteen years ago. But a deal went bad between them and they became major rivals. I think......my uncle might have known that Eric Sacks was Shredder's apprentice. He might have wanted in but was rejected. I don't know." She said cautiously. 

“Elena, tell them. Tell them what he used to do to you." Raphael spoke up carefully. 

Glancing in his direction, Elena nodded before turning back to April. "When my parents died, I went to live with him, my uncle. He.....um....." she was getting a little shaky at this point. There was no doubt fear in her voice as she called up the memories. "He......he forced me to be a test subject for his company. I.....um......I was always taken down to the labs and they preformed experiments on me. He and his scientists would inject drugs into me, make me take the drugs against my will. I was to test the drugs. They always made me sick. I came very close to dying a couple of times but then Uncle Vincent would inject medicine into my system to pull me out. He saved me but........I somehow don't believe it was for my benefit." 

“How old were you again?" Vernon spoke up, the disgust very clear on his face as he stepped forward. 

Elena flinched a little at hearing his voice but shrugged. "Nine. Ten. I was seventeen when I finally had enough and ran away to come to the city and make something of myself. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't do that any longer. I was always having nightmares. I was always afraid to even sleep. I had, still have some pretty strong insomnia because of nightmares. It's why I don't really sleep at night. And even then, I only get like four, five hours of sleep each day." She told him. 

Grinding her teeth, April released Elena's hands and stood up, now pacing. She had seen the looks on the Turtles', on Splinter's face. None of them had liked hearing any of that. "That was fucking illegal." She found herself hissing angrily as she paced to calm her nerves. 

"Still is. Human testings with drugs. Even with adults, it's illegal." Vernon added, his tone dark. "Especially with a kid like her. Vincent Harker should have been tried and sent to prison for severe child abuse on her. The fact that she was a kid and was unwilling, it makes it worse."   
"So why wasn't he turned in?" Donatello asked, his tone slightly hard. 

Elena tilted her head towards him then shook her head. "I was scared of him. I still am terrified of him. The courts couldn't do anything about it because I was too afraid to say anything. And even I was to turn him in now, he is very rich and powerful. He could easily bail himself out of jail, pay off bad cops, whatever. Whatever we do to ensure his arrest, he can still get out of it. And that is what I am really afraid of. If I was to speak against him for what he did to me, and he got out of it, he'd......." 

"He would more than likely come after you." April finished for her, knowing how terrified the younger girl was of that thought. "Okay. So if Vincent Harker does have something to do with The Foot, we need to catch him in the act just like we did with Eric Sacks." She looked around at the Turtles and the rat. "You guys, I know we already have enough on our plates but she is going to need protection from this guy. Especially if we even start looking into this. If we find out that he does have something to do with The Foot, it will be more than likely he will know she talked and he will come after her. It's just like what happened with me and Eric Sacks." She told them. 

Raphael lift his head higher, as if puffing himself up. "I already promised her that I was going to protect her. If anyone comes after her, they will have to deal with me." He said firmly before glancing at his brothers, who all slowly nodded and then they all looked to Splinter, as if asking him for permission. 

Splinter had sat back down in his lotus position, his gnarled claws folded together again as he listened to what was being said calmly. He took it all in before he, too, nodded. "We will protect Elena Harker from any harm. She is now a part of this, even if she has always been. If any of the Foot, or even her relative means to harm her, we will be there to face them and offer her protection. No harm will befall upon her." he looked to Elena, who had smiled faintly at everyone. "Elena Harker, if what you say is true, then perhaps your uncle may have had something to do with your parents' deaths. It is a possibility. How was your father's relationship with his brother?" He asked her carefully. 

Elena grimaced, though there was a hint of pain at the very thought that her uncle might have had something to do with her parents' death. She didn't want to think that. But, she knew very well that Splinter might have been right. Her uncle......if he really did have something to do with The Foot, her uncle might have had her parents murdered. And by default, might have tried to kill her too. Maybe. "They had a really strained relationship. Even before my mother came into the picture. I know that they got along with each other like brothers are supposed to do when they were kids. But....I think my Grandfather kind of favored my dad more than Uncle Vincent. He tried giving the entire Harker inheritance to my father when he passed away. There was a huge fight between my father and my uncle about the whole thing. My father eventually knew that the best way of solving the problems was splitting up the inheritance. But my uncle wanted it all. When my parents died, everything went to him. Even mine. He told the lawyers that were protecting my investment that when I turned 21, I would get my share. I don't......I don't care about the money. But I don't think it's right that my uncle controls it all. I might not know a lot about inheritance and stuff like that but my uncle is kind of greedy about stuff like this. I have to admit that." She told him. 

April nodded as she listened and went back to sit down next to Elena, her eyes on Vernon. "Okay. We're going to be really careful about this whole thing when we start looking. We can't let Vincent Harker know we're onto him. Because if he gets a hint that we are, he might lash out at Elena. What we need to do is start looking into police records about the fire that killed her parents. I think I might have a contact that can help us in that. Especially since her father was a cop. If he was a really good cop like she was saying he was, there is only one cop I can think of that will share the information. We really have to start watching Harker Pharmaceuticals carefully. I know that it is one of the best medical assistance facilities. The fact that we are trying to prove that Vincent Harker might have something to do with The Foot, it might cause some serious problems. Like it or not, Harker Pharmaceuticals does save lives." She looked over at Elena, who was growing stiff at the realization. "Elena, you're probably not going to like this. But if we prove your uncle is a part of the Foot Clan or is working with him, if he is arrested and taken out of the picture, it can destroy Harker Pharmaceuticals. And that place does save lives. Are you sure you want to destroy the company?" 

"N-no. But.....what they were doing to me......" Elena was saying, her voice a little shaky. 

"I know. It was wrong. Very wrong." April said, feeling pity for her. She knew that the younger woman was now torn between taking down her uncle and not destroying the Harker Pharmaceuticals Company. "What I am trying to get at, though is, would you be willing to seize the company and put it to right? It will become yours to run. You are probably the only person who can do it." 

Grimacing, Elena lightly shrugged as she thought about it. She wasn't so sure about this now. But what choice would she have? "I guess I have to think about it. I am in no position running an entire company like this. I don't know anything about this kind of stuff. I know only music and computer systems." She told her. 

That perked Donatello up and he looked quite bright on that idea. "Really? How good are you on computers?" He asked interested. 

Raphael groaned, giving his intelligent younger brother a look. "Don't even start, nerd." He groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. 

Elena, however had to smile in Donatello's direction, shrugging lightly. "I'm just good with computers, that's it. Data analyzing, coding programs, typing recreational work. That's pretty much. I am not even close to being a hacker or anything. I also am.....well, pretty good at musicology. I've been trying to write my own music by using computer science." She told him. 

Donatello looked impressed, nonetheless. Especially when she mentioned musicology. "Have you used any kind of digital musical technology to write your own music?" He asked, ignoring the groan from the largest turtle. 

However, Elena smiled and shrugged. "Sort of. I recorded some of my own music. I play the violin and I am.....moderately good at it." She said, wincing pathetically. 

"Oh, please, Elena." Raphael scoffed, looking at her, his head shaking. "I heard ya play. You're good, really good. Don't let that ass of your uncle tell ya that you’re not." He jerked his head towards her, looking at the now bemused looks they were both getting. "Ya gotta hear her play her violin. I don' even like that kind of music but she makes it sound awesome." He told them all, making everyone smile in amusement. 

Elena was blushing and dipping her head down low in an abashed way. "But I......the music agencies keep rejecting me......." she murmured. 

"Yeah, I know. Because your blind and they won't try and listen to your music. I am betting ya get April to help you, they can't ignore you next time." Raphael said looking back at her. 

"Well, I can already see where this is going. But let's not get off the subject. We have plenty of time of getting to know Elena better later." April said in amusement. "Right now, we need to figure out what to do about Vincent Harker and The Foot." Her face became serious. "I think I know a way of finding out how Vincent Harker might be involved. But none of you are going to like it." 

Now, everyone was looking at her in suspicion. They didn't like how she said that at all. And they all had a feeling that they were definitely not going to like this. 

"What?" It was Leonardo who asked wearily, his entire frame slumping a little as he looked at her. 

Sighing, April folded her arms around herself, looking seriously at everyone. She knew there was going to be a major blow up with this one. But she knew it had to be done. It was probably the only way, honestly. "I have to go talk to Eric Sacks." She told them. 

And she was right. 

Everyone, but Splinter and Elena blew up.


	9. Chapter Nine

There was a loud beep from behind her as she walked through the door with the prison guard leading her into a somewhat bland gray room with a two way, four inch glass panel. A chair was waiting for her on her side and on the other side was a vacant chair. 

In all honesty, April was questioning why she was doing this. She hated Eric Sacks with a passion. He had murdered her father. He had tried to kill three of the most precious beings in her life. He had tried to kill her. He had tried to kill millions of people for the sake of his own and his master's. 

But then she remembered the most important thing right now. She had to find out about The Foot. She had to find out if a young 18 year old girl was in danger because of her uncle. 

Yes, April had to do this. 

"All right. You will have only twenty minutes to talk to him. If you want to leave sooner, just press the call button and we will come for you." The guard told her. 

April nodded in understanding as she went over to the chair and sat down. She knew fairly well Eric might try to say something to rile her up. She was definitely going to have to put her reporter skills to the test with him. 

Not having to wait long, April watched the door open to the other side and in came the scum of her being. She saw how gaunt he looked, how griseled. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a week. 

Eric Sacks had definitely fell far from his high pedestal and she had helped him. He did not look like he slept too well while being in prison. He did have dark shadows under his eyes and he did look thinner. He wore the orange jumpsuit a prisoner wore, hand cuffs on his wrists. He was a sad sight to behold. 

Taking one look at her, Eric Sacks spared an impatient smile and scoff before rolling his eyes and then going to sit down in the chair. He met her eyes in a cold stare before finally setting his cuffed hands on the counter bfore him. 

"April O'Neal," Sacks said his voice slightly worn from his time in prison. "You are the last person I would have thought to coming to visit me. It has been months since I last saw you. When was that? Oh, yes. At my trial that convicted me for life. What could you possibly ever want to come to see me for?" 

April, through narrowed eyes, kept her hands on her lap. She didn't trust herself to anything else. "I came to ask you some questions, Sacks." She answered coldly. 

"Hm. Well, I will try and answer them. But do not expect the answers you may be looking for. By the way, how are your pets?" Sacks asked in twisted amusement. He even had the audacity to smile at her. 

"They're fine. And they're not my pets." April said coldly again before she took a deep breath and decided to have it out. "I need to know something, Sacks. About Vincent Harker." 

Eyebrows raised and the surprise was clear on Sacks' face. He definitely was taken aback. "Vincent Harker? I was expecting something a little different than that foolish man." He stated. 

"I could ask about The Foot but I doubt you would actually answer me." April said blankly before she placed her hands on her side of the counter. "But I need to know about Vincent Harker, Eric. Is he a part of The Foot?" 

There was a pause before Sacks smiled forcefully. "What did he do now to get your attention onto him, I wonder." He chuckled when April gave an irritated sigh. "No. He is not. Or he wasn't the last time I checked." 

April slowly nodded, though feeling a little disappointed. "Did he want to be?" She asked firmly. 

Another pause before Sacks tilted his head, looking her dead in the eyes. "Why should I even answer you, April? You arethe reason I am here, after all. You and your pet turtles. Oh, not to mention your boyfriend who punched me in the god damned face." He said frowning darkly. 

Fighting back a sharp retort, April tried a stone cold look approach. She just stared coldly at him, waiting with her nails rapping on the counter impatiently. 

Rollingnhis eyes, Sacks leaned back in his chair, cuffed hands now falling onto his lap. "Yes, April. He did want into The Foot. But my mentor, Master Shredder denied him. He did not like the ambitions Harker brought with him. He did not approve of the goals that he brought. Harker wanted too much. He was just very lucky that he even walked out still breathing by the time we finished talking to him. Now answer my question. Why do you want to know about Harker?" He asked cooly. 

April debated with herself to answering that question. She knew she had to be careful. Even though he was not getting out of prison for a long time, he was still very dangerous. 

But finally, after thinking about it, she nodded, tappingnher nails. "We believe Vincent Harker is in with The Foot now, Sacks. Since Shredder's little fall that killed him, we believe someone else has taken over as a new Shredder. And they allowed him in." She said coldly. 

There was a pause before Sacks slowly smiled, shaking his head. "Do you really believe that anyone could ever take Master Shredder's place?" His smiled widened a little when April stiffened. "Do not be mistaken in believing that, Miss O'Neal. No one can take his place. Sure, they can wear the stolen armor. But they will not be the Master of the Foot. Only one can be." He leaned forward, his smile now gone and he looked deadly. "And he is very much alive." 

Growing horror was strting to show on April, in her. She did not want to hear that, nor believe it. She couldn't. "How.....no. He can't be. He fell over a hundred feet. He hit the ground hard. A fall like that should have killed him. He is dead, Sacks." She said, steeling her voice. 

Sacks was smiling again, looking pleased but dangerous at the same time. "And yet," he paused for an effect. "I talked to him last night during my free time on a phone. He is in critical condition but he is healing fast, Miss O'Neal. He had some of the serum when he fell. That is why he is alive." He said his voice low and like a snake's, a snake about to strike. "You want to know about Vincent Harker, fine. I will tell you. He is one reason My Master is healing. He is not a part of the Foot. But he will be." He pushed with an acid like smile. 

April was shakened up now. She felt her resolve starting to melt away into a shiver of fear. She now had word that Shredder was alive. Vincent Harker was almost in The Foot. She had what she needed. 

Standing up, April moved towards the door to leave. She had it all she needded. So there was no reason to stay and ask more. 

"Oh, and April." Sacks called after her, stopping her from pushing the call button. He was smiling dangerously again when she turned back. "Don't you want to know what we did to that girl?" 

Ice ran through April's veins as she looked wide eyed at him. She knew he was talking about Elena. He knew about her. But.....how did......?

"The Foot has eyes everywhere, April. We know she knows about the Turtles. It is a matter of time before they do go after her to get to the Turtles." Sacks said smiling dangerously. "Also, we are the reason why she is blind." 

April stood stalk still, ice travelling through her before she slowly stepped towards the window again, glaring hate at him. "What did you do to her?" She asked acidly.

Heavy eyed, Sacks smiled leaning forward even more until he finally stood up to be eye level with her. "You really want to know?" He waited for a good long moment until she forced herself to nod. "It didn't start with the Turtles, Miss O'Neal. It started with a baby. Her. When Eleanor Harker was born, we were just starting to find out about the Mutangen, starting to figure out the formula. Vincent Harker offered his newborn neice to be the test subject. So.......we borrowed her from her parents one night while they were out celebrating their anniversary. The affects of the first test, however, was unsuccessful and the cause of her blindness. We would have tried again but Adam Harker found out. He had no visible proof, nonevidence but he knew. That is why he hounded my every step. He was trying to find proof. He got too close in the end." 

April grinded her teeth, furious now. She couldn't believe this man. And Vincent Harker. They had practically destroyed Elena when she was too young to remember any of this. "You.......it was you, wasn't it? You murdered Elena's parents, didn't you?" She asked icily. 

Sacks smiled a devilish smile but he shook his head. "No. I never did. But I gave him the idea. You see, your father inspired the idea. A fire to destroy everything I worked so hard to achieve. And Detective Harker was butting in. When he discovered my connection to the Foot and what we did to is precious little girl, we put an end to it." He told her. 

April looked at him rage and disgust. She wanted nothing more than to end him. It was just a shame a four inch plate of glass was in the way. "You are so disgusting. You and Vincent Harker. And I can guarantee you, when this is over, when we finally end The Foot, I am going to expose you and make sure you get the Death Penalty. I think you inspired me. How about lethal.injection?" She asked coldly before.going over to practically slam her hand against the call button. 

Sacks chuckled darkly as he stepped back from his chair to await his guard. "That's where you're wrong, Miss April O'Neal. You can't expose me without exposing them." He said as the guards.on both sides entered to escort them out. 

April gave him a cold look before she left with the guard. She didn't know how she was going to do it yet. But she would expose The Foot. She would end Eric Sacks, Vincent Harker. Shredder. She swore her life on it.

 

Returning back to the sewers that night, April was no doubt in a really bad mood. She came stomping into the main chamber with a flustered Vernon behind her. It was enough to make Mikey decide to greet her the usual way he always did by flirting with her. 

It was only Splinter, Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo, though. Raphael wasn't there. 

"Where's Raphael?" April asked immediately when she noticed. 

"Uh......I guess has night classes tonight. He wanted to watch over her so we kind of agreed that he skip out on patrol tonight." Donatello spoke up from his computers. 

Splinter, once again, sitting in his lotus position, twitched his ears towards the two humans. He was getting the idea that something was terribly wrong. "April O'Neal, what has happened? You seem so torubled." He said the onvious. 

April looked over at him, her eyes widening a little in an impatient way. "Oh, believe me. I am, Splinter. I am troubled, and pissed at what Eric Sacks said to me. And it's a good idea if we leave Raphael out of this for a minute. Because he is going to be pissed off too." She took a deep breath and faced the three Turtles, watching her anxiously. "The Foot knows about Elena. Eric Sacks knew about her. We need to search your sewer for any spy devices. Any listening devices, spy cams." She told them formly. 

All stiffened in alarm, looking at her in apprehension. 

"Wait, what do you mean they know about Elena?" Leonardo asked frowning, his frame tense. 

April shook her head before placing her hands on her waist. "Okay. Eric Sacks said a lot to me. He seemed to be in a talkitive mood when I went to speak to him. One, Shredder is alive, guys. He said he just talked to him last night on the phone." She nodded when everyone tensed up in dawning horror. "Two, he is alive because he had some of the mutangen serum with him he fell. Three, he is in critical but because of Vincent Harker, he is healing faster."

"Oh, man. So Elena's uncle is involved with The Foot." Michelangelo said grimacing. 

April nodded, now looking tired. "In a way, but not fully. He isn't apart of them yet. But if what Sacks said was true, he will be. And what makes it worse, they are already watching her. So they probably know Raph is with her. But without Shredder being active right now, they probably won't go after her because he is with her." She sighed and went to sit down. "Also, um, Sacks admitted that Vincent Harker had killed Elena's parents." 

"Oh, man. That creep." Donatello said now rubbing his round head, grimacing. 

Another sigh escaped April and she looked right at Splinter. "He also said it didn't start with you guys. The creation of the mutangen." She nodded slowly when everyone tensed up, looking surprised. "It started with her. When she was born, they used her. They are the reason why she is blind, guys. They destroyed her eyes with early stages of testings. If I am guessing right, she just might have a little bit of mutangen in her blood. That might have been a reason for the fire that killed her parents. Other than that Detective Harker found out what was happening, I think they were after her. They were either going to destroy the evidence of what they did or get her." She said solemnly. 

Splinter sighed, now rubbing his own head and slumping forward to think hard on the matter. This was not good news at all. 

"So, what? She has the mutangen? She's like us?" Leonardo asked a little horrified by what was being said but he was taking it more calmly. 

April shook her head, her eyes flicking to him. "No, I doubt it. You were.injected several times to even be able to mitate into what you are now. I think she was injected only once. And she definitely didn't mutate over the years." She then stiffened, now completely alert. "But then again.......I think Vincent Harker was trying to replicate the mutangen while he had her under his guardianship. The tests he kept doing to her. The drugs he injected into her, making her sick." She was saying. 

"Or maybe......it was just the drugs he was testing on her and when she came close to dying, it was a replication of the mutangen that saved her life." Donatello now said stiffly, realization dawning on him.

Everyone wasn't liking this at all. Theyall knew this bad news. And the fact that an innocent blind girlnws apart of this, they knew they had to take action. 

"Okay. For one, we do need to find out if Elena does have mutangen in her blood and what it is doing to her. In doubt she is changing though. She would have changed a long time ago. She just might have it and that's it. Hopefully that is just the case." April said now breathing in deeply. "And if that is the case, it will mean we have to keep an eye on her almost all the time. Because if she does have mutangen in her blood system, The Foot are going to want to get it." 

Splinter nodded as he straightened in his position. "Agreed. However, while we can protect her at night, we cannot during the day. Sooner or later, the people of New York may notice my sons watching over her." He told everyone. 

"And that would cause problems. April and I can't watch her because of our jobs." Vernon said grimacing. 

"Uh......what about her friend? What, Casey?" Michelangelo offered a suggestion. 

April looked at him but shook her head. "I don't think it would be smart. That would mean exposing him to you guys. And we don't know him. We don't anything about him. We don't even know if Elena told him about you guys." Her eyes widened at the thought. "Oh, god. We didn't even ask her, did we?" 

Leonardo held up his hands to get their attention. "Hey, it's okay. I talked to Raph after he came back from taking her home last night. He told me that Elena did tell her friend our names only. She didn't tell him anything else. Even after she found out about what he was. He said he did get to see this Casey guy once. And I quote," he paused, rolling his eyes. "I like the guy. So meaning, this guy is probably just like Raph. He's probably kind of rebellious, over protective and all of that. He said that the guy's name was Casey Jones, I guess." He told them. 

It was Vernon whose eyes widened at the sound of that name and he held up a hand to hold Leonardo from saying anything else. "Hold it! Did you just say Casey Jones?" He asked, hurriedly. 

Everyone stared at him before Leonardo nodded, frowning over at him. "Yeah. That's the name Raphael gave me. Elena told him that name too. Why?" He asked. 

Vernon snorted in surprised humor before shaking his head. He didn't look like he didn't disagree with that name at all. In fact, he looked pretty impressed. "Wow. Elena is friends with Casey Jones? That guy was a major all star a few years ago in the New York University. He majored in a lot of sports. He's fricken Jock. He was a baseball player, football, hockey was his favorite sport to play. He would have gone pro if he hadn't......" He cut himself off grimacing. 

"Haven't what?" April asked suspiciously, staring at her partner long and hard. 

Grimacing, Vernon shrugged as he looked back at her. "I can guarantee you if Donatello looks up his file, he's going to find a criminal record. Casey Jones lost his Sports Scholarship because he beat the shit out of a gang for bullying elderly people. And he used a cricket bat to do it. Landed the entire gang in the ER for picking on elders. He heard about the gang jumping old men and women and just trash talking them and disrespecting them and Jones actually tracked them down to their old hidey hole and beat them all up. He was arrested for it and he lost his scholarship. He's a live wire, Ape. A loose cannon. The fact that Elena is friends with THAT guy, I think we can't afford not to involve him. He's dangerous but only to the wrong people. I can guarantee you. Anyone who goes after her with that guy watching over her, they'd have to be really, really good at fighting or they have to majorly gang up on them. Either way, he might just trash them." He said admittedly. 

Sighing in frustration, April shook her head. She didn't like the idea of bringing another outsider in, especially if he had a criminal record. She knew he had one because he was defending elderly folks, protecting them from being bullied, beaten and such.

"We will talk to Elena about her friend when Raphael brings her back. Until then, we need to go get a blood test kit from a hospital and then talk to her about getting a blood sample. We need to find out if she does have the mutangen innher blood." April said looking around at everyone and was satisfied to see them nod in agreement. "What time does Elena get done with her classes? Did Raph say?" Vernon asked frowning. 

Donatello was the one to shrug and answer. "Raph said she gets done about three. So that leaves us plenty of time to do what we need to do." He told him. 

April nodded before standing up. "Okay. So we just need to......" she was saying. 

There was a sudden beeping at Donatello's computer, making the purple masked Turtle frown and go over to it. He looked at his computer before relaxing. "It's just Raphael. Looks like he is giving us a check in. For once." He murmured the last as he answered. "Hey, Raph. It's good that you decided......" 

"Not now, Donny! We got a problem! I can't find Elena!" Raphael snapped over his com. 

Everyone stiffened and directed their attention to the computer system. That did not sound good at all. 

"What?! I thought she was in class!" Leonardo said now stepping closer to the computer. 

"I know! But it has only been an hour since she went in and the fire alarms went off! The humans inside had everyone coming out for some drill and I didn't see Elena!" Raphael said now frantic. "I went through the roof top to see if I could find her, thinking she might have gotten left behind but she is nowhere in the building! I looked everywhere and even called her name! Had to pull out because some human fire men showed up and were looking around! Someone pulled a fire alarm to evacute the building but there was no fire! Elena is missing and I highly doubt she was the one who did it! She wouldn't!" 

"Okay, don't panic, Raph! We will find her! Check around the school campus! Vern and I will go check her apartment to see if she went home without you!" April told him as she looked at Vernon, who nodded. 

"My sons," Splinter spoke up, looking at the Turtles. "Go assist your brother to finding Elena Harker! We must know she is safe. We must know why this has happened." 

Leonardo nodded before looking at Michelangelo and Donatello before they hurried to leave the sewers with April and Vernon. They didn't like this. Not at all. It was too soon for anything to happen to their new friend. 

But......it wouldn't be placed past The Foot would probably have something to do with her appearence. Especially after the warning they did just get from Eric Sacks.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning; extreme disturbing violence against Elena. I am sorry if this chapter disturbs you in any way but it just goes to show how far The Foot and power hungry tyrants will go for things they want. You have been warned.

At the beginning of the night--

Elena waited just outside her job building, having given the excuse to Casey that she was fine on her own on going to school. She had had a good solid argument with him about the matter and was feeling somewhat frustrated that he tried to continue to argue with her about taking her to her college classes. 

Casey had wanted to take an extra lunch to take her to school. But she knew fairly well that Raphael was going to take her. She had argued good and long to letting her go. 

In the end, her friend relented but not with satisfaction. He really wanted to meet this Raphael guy but Elena made him swear that he would stay back until her new friend was ready to meet him. She knew Casey wasn't happy with her right now. But she had promised the Turtles and even Splinter that she wouldn't tell him. 

And now, she was waiting in an alley for Raphael. She didn't have to wait too long at all. Raphael came down from the roof tops a moment after she arrived and carried her to school. She had loved the thrill of the wind blowing past her face, the adrenaline rush of his running and leaping across the roof tops and in the air. 

When they had arrived at the school, Raphael set her down in the dark of the trees and promised he would stick around until she was done then they could go spend time in the sewer with the others, allowing them to get to know her. 

Elena smiled at him, listening to him climb a high tree before she went inside the building. 

But if she only knew what would have happened, she would have never gone inside. She would have stayed with Raphael and just skipped her classes. 

As Elena walked down the hall, her stick tapping against the tiles, she frowned slightly when she heard the foot steps behind her. She had thought she was alone in the hall but by the sounds of it, she wasn't. She tilted her head to the side, listening to the foot steps. They were approaching her. 

"Hello?" She called out. 

There was a pause before the foot steps stopped near her. They were too close. 

"Miss Eleanor Harker?" A man's voice asked. 

Elena turned towards the voice but nodded with a frown. She was tensed up. She didn't know that voice at all. It sounded like a serious man. Like, maybe a police officer or something. "Yes. I am. Who are.......?" She was saying. 

"I am afraid you have to come with us, Miss Harker. Your uncle would like a word with you." The man said before he struck. He had reached forward so suddenly that it startled Elena. 

But before Elena could even mutter a sound of surprise, a clothe was placed over her mouth, stifling her cry of surprise. She gasped and dropped her blind stick, reaching for the hand and the clothe to swat it away. 

But she was suddenly hit with a strange smell of vapors that made darkness swim over her usual darkness. 

'Chloroform.' Elena thought in a panic before she passed out. 

TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTNMTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT

Honestly, Elena didn't know how long she had been out but when she came to, it was due to a sharp smell that shot up through her nose, stinging the back of her brain. She yelped in alarm, her darkened eyes shooting open and she struggled against bonds she couldn't see, obviously. 

It took her a moment to register her predictament. She shook her head several times, blinking rapidly before she realized, she was tied down in a chair. She could feel rope wrapped around her wrist, binding her down to the arms. 

Terror and panic was the first thing rushing through her mind. 

"Wh-what.......where.......?!" Elena cried out in terrr, her arms jerking to test the rope but she couldn't move. She felt even her feet had been bound to the legs. "Someone! Where am I?! What is happening?! Someone, help me!" She cried, now trembling. 

"Shut up, Elena. You're fine." A cold voice spoke up, making her jerk in the direction. "For now."

Elena felt a cold chill run across her body as she stared in the direction of her uncle. She didn't understand. Why did her uncle.kidnap her like this?! Where was Raphael?! Did they......?! 

"Uncle Vincent?! Why....?!" Elena asked her voice trembling. 

"I said be silent!" Vincent Harker snapped and a sharp slap to her face silenced her only with a cry of pain and alarm. "You will keep silent and listen to what I have to say! Do I make myself clear?!" 

Elena, trembling, her face stinging, nodded. She knew how her uncle could be. She was terrified of him as it was. 

There was a hum before Vincent Harker stepped back, his eyes dark and glaring down at his neice he had bound in the chair. He was not alone. He was with a few several others. Only one of them Elena knew. "Now then, the reason why you were brought here is because of your new.....friends." he nodded when Elena stiffened in the chair. "I am talking about your new mutant turtle friends. And a rat. I am sire they told you enough. So, yes. I am apart of The Foot. Or at least I will be. You were brought here for two reasons, Elena." He waved to one of the men in the room who nodded and stepped forward with a needle and syringe. "We want a blood sample from you to determine the tests we were preforming were not in vain." 

Terror struck through Elena at the spund of a blood sample. And that was one thing she hated. Other than fire, it was needles she was most scared of. She cried out when she felt someone grab her arm and she tried to jerk away but another pair of hands grabbed at her, holding her down. 

There was no doubt where she was now. She knew she was back in the underground labs of her uncle's mansion. She only dreamt of nightmares being in that place. She was terrified of it. 

Feeling an alcohol swab on her arm, Elena tried to steel herself as she felt the needle prick her arm and she whimpered as she felt her blood being drawn from her. She was trembling as she just sat there, pinned to the chair and was only too glad that it was over a moment later. She felt the doctor pull the needle from her arm and then had someone else wrap a bandage around her bleeding arm. 

"Wh.......why........Uncle Vi-Vincent, why do you......?" Elena dared herself to ask as she was released. 

Vincent Harker looked at her before lifting his head and glowered at her. "I suppose I can explain. Since this will be the lst night of your life." He almost smiled coldly when Elena looked horrified to hear those words. "Elena, you are a mistake but one that proved useful in the end. The tests we performed on you were not only drug tests. But enhancements, additives. You see, when you were just a baby, a newborn, you were injected with an.....early stage of the formula that created your mutant friends." He explained. 

Elena stiffened in shock, listening hard. 

Vincent Harker smirked finally before he began to circle around his bound niece, dark eyes on her. "Unfortunately the first stage of tests were unsuccessful. The result," he paused to lean over directly next to her, his mouth near her ear,.which she flinched at. "Your blindness."

Again, Elena stiffened in horror, her dark eyes widened. She felt her breath seize in her lungs and it hurt. She.....she was blind because of him?! He had had been the one! He had destroyed her eyes?! 

"Yo-you did this? To me?!" Elena asked her breath shaky. 

"Yes. Eric Sacks and I did this to you. Too bad, so sad." Vincent Harker said coldly before standing up straight and he resumed his circling around her. "Because of the failure of the tests, Sacks' Master, Shredder denied me access of joining The Foot. He did not take failure lightly. I worked so hard to gain his attention again. I even had a......a little accident happen because of your fucking father getting to close." He smiled cruelly when Elena gasped, her body tensing up more. "Yes, Elena. It was me. I had had your parents killed. Truth be told, the fire that took them was not meant for your demise. We were actually suppose to gather you. We still needed a test subject to continue the replication of the mutangen formula. Oh, we got it all right. But time after time, tests after tests, we continued to fail to replicate the formula in you. 

Eventually, the last time we injected you was the time you decided to run away. Oh, you foolish, little brat nearly ruined everything. Coming to New York to hide. Did you honestly think you could get away from me?" Harker growled still circling her. "You are very lucky I had decided to grant you your vacation away from home. I had more pressing issues to deal with. So I had a certain someone watching over you. Say hello to your ex, Richard." 

Elena jolted in shock and alarm hen she heard the nae of her ex-boyfriend and jolted again when he spoke. 

"Hey, Elena." She heard Ricky's voice and she stared in shock and horror in his direction. "Yep, I'm a Foot. Cool, huh? Stupid bitch. Should've stayed with me. But nooooo. You had to break up with me." 

Disgust spread on Elena's face and she spat in Ricky's direction. "Looks like I had made the right decision, Rick! You bastard!" She found enough courage to snarl. 

There was a chuckle from several around her, Ricky laughing the loudest. 

"See? Told ya she had spirit." Ricky said in dark amusement. 

Vincent Harker rolled his eyes before stopping his circling right in ront of his neice. "Good. She is going to need it. That is, until we break her into pieces. Munson! Are you done yet?" He suddenly snapped at the doctor who was running Elena's blood through a tester. 

"One........moment, Mister Harker. There! It is done!" The doctor stated before leaning in towards his computer screen. His eyes widened in surprise and he smiled. "And we have an affirmative, sir. The girl has the mutangen in her blood." 

Elena stiffened in surprise, her head tolted towards the voice who was speaking. 

"How much does she have?" Harker asked now moving over to look at the results for himself. 

The doctor, Munson grimaced before shaking his head. "Actually not much at all. There is only a cluster of the formula. At least a half quart of it." He stated. 

Harker nodded, his eyes narrowing at the computer screen, before he clicked his fingers and pointed at Elena. "Take it all out of her. Drain the formula from her blood system. And when you have it all, we will dispose of her." He ordered as he turned swiftly. 

"No! Don't touch me!" Elena snapped now struggling as she heard people coming towards her. She screamed when she was seized by hands and it earned a few curses. 

"Sedate her if you have to. Alert me once you are done." Harker snapped from where he ws in the room. 

Screaming in rage and fear, Elena did not stop struggling until she felt a stab of pain in her arm and the overwhelming feeling of drowsiness over cae her. She stopped screaming and struggling and felt vertigo over taking her. She was only half aware of what was happening around her. She heard only disfunctioned voices. Most of them were so blurred out that she couldn't be sure what they were saying. 

She heard her uncle talking to the doctors, completely ignoring her. She heard Rick somewhere close by, obviously lingering around her. He was talking to her a few times but she couldn't be sure what he was saying. It sounded like he was mocking her, berating her. 

What seemed hours but in reality was only an hour later, they unhooked the tubes from her arm and left her alone for a moment. 

The sedation was slowly dying down and Elena was becoming aware again. She could hear her uncle saying something about her. She heard him say that she was no longer useful and it was time for her to leave. 

And it was a painful impact against her face that sent her spiraling back into reality. 

Elena heard herself scream as she went toppling to the side, chair and all. She hit the ground, still bound to the chair, her face burning from being punched. She screamed again when she just felt fists striking at her. She screamed and begged when she felt herself being beaten. She tasted blood in her mouth. She screamed again when a foot connected into her ribs, knocking the air from her lungs. 

Even as Elena, laid there, arms wrapped around her middle, gasping for her lost air, she also felt a fist slam into the side of her head, forcing her to bang her head hard on the ground. She could feel herself shutting down into unconsciencess, full of pain.

"She is no longer useful to us. And I am sure her monsters are looking for her. Dump her back into the sewers where she belongs with them." Vincent Harker said coldly before everything went blacker for Elena and she fell into a pit of darkness. 

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Honestly, Elena didn't know how long she was out. She just knew that when she came to, she was in a lot of pain and extremely cold. She felt like her entire body was broken into pieces. She couldn't stifle her cry of pain as she moved and felt sharp pain in her side. She gasped and slapped her hand over her side, feeling the burning there. It felt like her ribs were cracked. 

When she shifted, there was a sharp, blinding pain that shot through her entire body starting with her legs. She cried, tears streaming down her face as she reached down and covered her leg, near the ankle. It was a pain she had never felt before. 

Crying in darkness, Elena could only lay where she was, wondering where she was. She felt the ground and felt that it was damp and there was garbage littered around her. 

Shivering, she listened hard and heard distant trickling of water. She could hear cars above her, driving over her. She had to think real hard of where she was. She couldn't think with the blinding pain coursing through her. Where was she.......?

The sewers, her uncle had said. The sewers where she belonged. She must have been in the sewers. 

Crying, Elena just laid there, her body racking with pain and misery. She felt useless, worthy of nothing. She felt like she really did belong in the scum of New York. She.......

The sewers. 

Elena gasped and choked before shifting to her front, crying out when she felt the sharp pain in her ankle again. It had to have been broken. It shouldn't have hurt that much like it did. She sobbed as she shifted and felt around the damp sewer ground, forcing herself to crawl to the side until her hand found a wall. 

She had to do something. She needed......she needed to call for Raphael and his brothers. They lived down in the sewers. They had to be down here. 

"Ra-Raph......." Elena cried her voice cracking low in pain. She tried calm herself as she pulled herself to sitting up against the sewer wall. "Raph.........Raphael........Raph!" She raised her voice to a moderately louder level. She sobbed at the pain that it had brought, however. "Raphael........! Raph! Raphael! I need.......I need you! He-help me!" She cried, her voice starting to echo off the walls of the sewer. 

It wasthe pain that made her choke and sob but she tried to raise her voice louder. 

"Raphael! Raphael! Help!" Elena screamed now, her voice bouncing off walls and traling deeper into the sewers. "RAPHAEL!!!!!"

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Honestly this was a nightmare, something he had been terribly afraid of happening. He knew something like this would happen but he didn't expect this would get so bad. He had sworn he would protect her and now he couldn't find her. 

Raphael only half regretted meeting Elena now. He was starting to wish he had never let her know who he was or what he was. He could only wonder if she would have been in this much danger if only he had let her be that second time of meeting her. He did not regret the first time of meeting her. He did not regret saving her life. It was just the second time. 

But then again........after what April and his brothers just told him not too long ago when they joined the search for Elena, he knew he would have been in danger no matter what. 

When he had sent her into the building, Raphael had waited for almost an hour before the fire alarms went off and humans started evacuating from the building. He had been worried when he couldn't see her. 

Raphael had went inside the building through the roof top and searched for her. He even called her name. But he had no answer. It was when he found her blind stick just sitting in the hall way, alone did he start to worry. She would have never left that behind. She had needed it. He knew something had happened. Something bad. 

So he made the call to the sewers, hoping that his brothers hadn't left yet. 

And now, Raphael was searching for his lost blind girl, with worry and growing fear in his heart. He searched. His brothers searched. He had circled the entire block. He had tried calling Elena's name. He knew he was catching attention but he remained hidden from human eyes that searched for who was yelling a girl's name. He did not care, however. He had to find her. 

Deciding to take his serch to the park, in hopes she might be lost, wandering there, Raphael called for Elena, searched for her. 

"For god's sake, where are you?" Raphael asked worried as he ran through the park, dashing tree to tree. He was getting scared. He hoped he would find her soon. "Elena! Elena, where the shell are......?!" He was calling. 

THWACK!!!

Something hard hit Raphael's shell, bouncing off and out of instinct, the large brawny turtle leapt into the trees above his head, whipping out his Sais. He growled, leaning close to the thick tree trunk and looked for what had hit him. It hadn't hurt him at all, just startled him. But he knew someone or something had just attacked him........

Was that a softball on the ground where he had been? 

Frowning, straightening up, Raphael saw the large white ball. It was too big to be a baseball. It must have been a soft ball. But where......?

"Hey, you! Up in the tree! How'd you get up there so fast?!" 

Raphael stiffened and leaned ever so closer to the tree, looking in the direction of the voice. He knew that voice. He had heard it before. 

In Elena's apartment. 

And sure enough, here came a tall, somewhat lanky, somewhat well built Casey Jones trodding over towards the tree. He was looking up for Raphael but he obviously couldn't see him because he was looking around. 

Casey was dressed in ripped baggy jeans and a white wife beater tank top, two sports bags strapped to his back, criss crossed across his chest. In them were handles of what looked like baseball bats, golf clubs, hockey sticks and maybe some balls at the bottom, by the looks of the lumps at the bottom of the bags. 

In his fingerless gloved hand was a bat. 

The guy even had a hockey mask over his face, hiding his face but Raphael knew who it was by his long hair falling over the mask and around his shoulders. He knew it was Casey because he remembered. 

Shoving the mask up, Casey waspeering into the tree, frowning in confusion. "Hey! I know you're up there, man! I saw ya jump! What are ya doing out here, yelling at the dead of the night! Only idiots wander Central Park at night!" He called up. 

Raphael leaned further behind the tree, his Sais moved back into their holsters. He knew he was well hidden from view. Otherwise, Casey wouldn't be searching for him. 

"Does that make YOU an idiot then?" The large brawny turtle could not help but ask in sarcasm. 

Casey's head whipped up the direction of his voice but the large turtle moved to make sure he was behind the trunk, hidden from view. "Hey! Come down and say that to my face!" The jock snapped, eyes narrowed as he tilted his head this way and that. 

"How about no? Why'd you hit me with a ball? I wasn' doing anything to you?" Raphael growled down at him. 

Casey frowned, squinting his eyes before shifting his feet and slowly walking around the tree. And as he moved to get a better look, so did Raphael to stay hidden, only disturbing the branchs around him. 

"I heard ya calling a name, man. A name I know. Wanted to know if it was the sae name. You know Elena? Elena Harker?" Casey asked starting to get frustrted because the guy in the tree kept moving out of sight. 

There was a pause as Rapbael considered his answer before he breathed in deeply. "What if I do?" He growled out. 

Casey stopped moving to try and see the large frame in the tree and just stood there with a stony look on his face. "What do you want with her? Why are you looking for her in the park?" He asked seriously and almost dangerously. 

"My concern, not yours." Raphael answered watching the human carefully. He wondered what would be his next reaction. 

And sure enough, Casey grabbed the handle of another bat and pulled it out, looking dangerously serious. "Bull fucking shit! That is my friend you're looking for! What the fuck do you want her for?! You better tell me or......!" 

"Or you will do what?" Raphael growled, now having moved into another tree behind Casey. 

Startled, Casey had whirled around, eyes wide as he looked up into the next tree over. He hadn't even heard or seen the guy move. "How did......?" He muttered in surprise. 

"For your information, Elena is my friend too. I am looking for her because she is lost somewhere." Raphael finally said, deciding to be honest. 

Casey froze in surprise before he slowly lowered both bats and stepped closer, peering up into the dark trees but not seeing the owner of the voice. He narrowed his eyes for a moment before dipping his head slightly. "Heeeeey. Are you.....are you Ralph?" He asked frowning. 

"It's Raphael. Not Ralph. I am getting tired of idiots saying my name wrong." The large Turtle growled irritably. 

Shifting a little, Casey tried to peer up at him but still couldn't see this Raphael. "So.....so, you're this new friend she told me about?" He asked suspiciously. 

A pause. 

"Yeah. So?" Raphael asked finally, shifting slowly and carefully until he was in another tree. He watched Casey move to follow his voice, still searching for him but the human seemed more relaxed. 

"You saved her life. Who are you? Why you hiding? What the hell is your deal with her? Come on down. I want to see ya, man. Let me see what kind of guy you are." Casey said now sounding more eased. 

Raphael remained hidden, not wanting to blow his cover. He knew if he blew it to this guy, his family would be pissed. He had to stay hidden. "Look, I don't have time to play this game, Casey. I am looking for Elena. What part of she is lost did you not get?!" He growled frustrated. 

With his own frustrated sigh, Casey ran his hand through his long hair before he nodded. "Okay, okay, okay. We will play meet you later. Where and when was the last time you saw her?" He asked irrtably. 

"Her school. I took her to her class and waited for her to come back out. The fire alarms went off and everyone came out. Everyone but her. I actually went looking for her because there was no fire and only found her blind stick." Raphael explained now sounding worried again. "She wouldn't leave that behind. She needs it to get around." 

Casey stiffened but slowly nodded. "Ye-ah, she would freak out if she didn't have that on her." His face grew serious and he peered back up to where Raphael was hiding from him. "So, what? You think she has been kidnapped? Who the fuck would take her?" He now growled out, his hands tightening on his bats. 

Raphael shook his head, watching the man below. "I don't know. But when I find out, they're dead." He growled his fists tightening into balls at his sides. 

Casey smirked darkly but nodded. "Yes, they fucking well are. No one fucks with Elena." He growled himself before he inhaled deeply and looked around, as if searching for something. "Okay. I am gonna help find her. I think I might know some places she might be. If I find her before you, ya got a phone she can call you at?" He asked now.lifting his head to peer up at the dark trees. 

"No. But knows my sister's number. If you find her before I do, or my brothers, have her call my sister. If we find her before you do, we will have her call you." Raphael swore to him. 

"That would be aappreciated. I'll head down to the places I know." Casey said now turning away, pausing. He turned back, looking up in the tree again. "Hey, Raphael, ya ever gonna let me see who you are? Cause I'd like to know what my Elles got herself into." 

Raphael paused then nodded. "I'll talk to my family. Consider it. You seem to be a good guy and Elena trusts you. And I do think.....you're kind of cool. But I can't make the decision by myself. It involves my dad and my brothers too." He told him. 

Slowly Casey nodded a smirk on his face but there was something different about it too. He looked like he was impressed. "I gotta respect that. Respect for your elder. Ya definitely seem okay then. Catch ya later then." He said before he turned an walked away, not even caring about his lost softball. 

Once Casey was gone, Raphael hopped down and picked up the ball before looking after the human. "Hmph. You seem okay to me too." He said before he turned and bolted again. He needed to find Elena. Now. 

"Huh. No wonder he was hiding." A voice, Casey's voice spoke moments later after the large turtle had left, having taken a lead from the said Raphael and hid in the bushes. 

And then he, too, left. 

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It took the remainder of the night and as dawn approached, there had been no luck, whatsoever. 

And that really frustrated Raphael. 

But with dawn approaching, there was no choice. Raphael had gotten the call back home and with a heavy heart, he headed home, meeting up with his brothers on the way. He was not happy when they had nothing to report. And that was enough to make even Michelangelo not be his usual cheerful, jokester self. He was even too worried about Elena. 

No one spoke as they went back down into the sewers, entering their home where they found April pacing and biting her nails worrily. 

"Anything, my sons?" Splinter asked, sounding worried from where he sat onnhis usual platform. 

All four, somber, shook their heads, a few glancing at the now bad tempered Turtle as he stormed past them, looking like he wanted to break something. 

"Oh, god. Where could she be?" April asked, sounding emotional as she paced. "We have looked everywhere. Her apartment. I even called hospitals to see if she might have turned up there. Nothing!" She sank down in the sofa, her entire body tense as a drum string. 

"We can't stop looking. We will try again tomorrow night. She has to be somewhere." Leonardo said with a sigh as he wearily sank down on a mat as if to meditate. 

"Hey, uh, by the way, smart guy, Donny. Your computer started beeping an hour ago." Vernon said sounding tired as he sat on a box, rubbing his tired eyes. 

"Huh?! Why didn't you tell me before? That is one of our motion detectors." Donatello said irritably as he moved over to his collection of computers. 

"Hey! You just got back, man! I am tellin' ya now, ain't I?" Vernon asked just as irritable. 

Donatello ignored him as he went to his computers computers and started looking. "Hm? Looks like it's one of the deeper parts. Nothing ever happens down......" he suddenly cut off and stiffened. He leaned forward, adjusting his glasses before peering closer. "Oh......shell." 

"Donny? What is it.......?" Leonardo was asking now straightening up from where he sat. 

Donatello tensed up and began typing furiously before zooming in on one of the screens. His eyes widened and he snapped up straight, turning sharply. "Raph! Come back here! Now!" He yelled across the sewer chamber to where the largest brother had vanished into another room. 

Everyone tensed before hurrying over to see what Donatello had seen. 

From the other room, Raphael growled but came stomping back into the room, looking sour as ever. "What?!" He snapped. 

"I.....I found Elena." Donatello answered his voice trembling with worry. "And she don't look good."


	11. Chapter Eleven

Shuddering in pain and from being so cold, Elena laid across the sewer ground, tears still flowing. She had called for Raphael, and called. She even called his brothers' names, hoping the would hear her. She had finally stopped after a while, sobbing too heavily from the pain and fear and just laid there. 

Where was he? Had he not heard her calling for him? Or had he heard but decided to ignore her, thinking she was just a waste of his time? Did he just decide to let her rot in the sewers? Maybe it was his brothers. They hadn't been pleased at first when they met her. 

"Ra-Raphael.........help me.......please......" Elena cried softly, so tired. 

And she closed her eyes, not that it would have done any difference to her eternal darkness. It did not stop her wandering mind. She could only think why had she lived and not died in that fire with her parents? Why did she have to be left behind?

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"WHAT?!" Raphael exclaimed before stomp running over to Donatello and his computers station, along with everyone else, all wanting to see what Donatello had seen. He had shoved past Leonardo and was not reprimended for it as usual. 

On the screen, it was almost too dark to see at all but there was something there. A lump of pale color against the black of the sewer walls. Donatello had enhanced the image to complete night vision and there she was. 

"Oh, my god." Both April and Vernon breathed in absolute horror. 

It was very clear of how Elena looked, even as she just laid there. The camera that Donatello had installed zoomed in closer on the girl and they could see the damage. 

Elena's hair was oit of it's usual pony ail, discheveled around her, almost like a rat's nest. Her face was dark with splotches and it didn't take a lot to figure out that it was bruises and possibly blood. She even looked like she had a black eye. Her clothes were wrinkled badly and even one sleeve was ripped from her tee shirt. She looked bad. 

"Elena." Raphael breathed out in horror before he whipped around and looked at Splinter, almost pleadingly. 

Splinter didn't need Raphael to ask. He was already nodding sharply and stepping back. "Go to her, my son. Find her." He told him softly. 

Raphael nodded sharply and was bolting as quick as possble. He had to get to Elena now! He needed to see her, himself! He had to see if she was even alive! She honestly looked dead on the screen!

From behind him, he heard the tell tale stomping of heavy foot steps of his brothers and had to manage a small hint of a smile as he ran as fast as he could out of their sewer, into the long stretches. His brothers were coming to help him. He heard smaller foot steps following and knew April and Vernon were coming. 

They needed to find Elena!

A jolt of pain struck through Elena, forcing her to wake up from her already painful sleep. She had jerked awake because she had heard something. She heard something......hissing. 

Moving to sitting up and crying out in pain, Elena listened hard and stilled in ever growing fear. 

It was due to a soft rattling noise very close by. She felt something on her ankles, moving, curling around her bare skin. A rattle was moving just above her shoes. She could feel it shaking. She knew the sound from listening to the Discovery channel and the Animal planet. 

There was a rattle snake on her. 

Slowly, ever so slowly, Elena laid back down and tried so hard to stop trembling from growing fear. She had heaard about this before. About snakes taking refuge in the sewers of New York. She had heard about it from Casey and others. 

And here was proof that it was true. She had a poisonous snake slithering on top of her, probably looking for heat from the chill in the sewers. 

Elena knew if she made any movement at all that seemed threatening, it was going to strike at her. 

Feeling the snake moving across her clothes and settling on her stomach, Elena whimpered and the hissing and rattling came closer. She felt the snake rearing up, probably looking right at her face. She closed her eyes, tears flooding down her face now. She was going to die. She choked back a sob, gasping from fear and she felt it move suddenly, almost lunging at her. She couldn't stop the scream from escaping her. 

Suddenly there was a metallic whoosh and something hot splashed on her. She cried out in fear, flinching and waiting for the bite. 

But the snake flopped down on her chest, leaking hot fluid all over her. She trembled, darkened eyes widened and her breathing sped up. She flinched when she heard a loud thump next to her and she cried out in fear when something touched her. 

"Hey, it's okay! It's me! Leonardo!" A familiar voice quickly said with a comforting hand on her shoulder, keeping her from getting up. 

Elena, trembling, turned her head towards the voice of Leonardo, feeling a flood of relief wash through her. "Le-Leo?" She asked her voice shaking. 

"Yeah. It's Leo. You're safe now." Leonardo said softly before turning away from Elena. "You, guys! I found her! She's over here!" He called before turning back to see her flinch. "Easy, Elena. It's just the others. We have been looking for you all night." 

Elena sank back down on the ground, sobbing in relief. She should have never doubted Raphael. He had been looking for her when she went missing. He had cared about her to look. 

"Elena!" Here came his voice and heavily foot steps. 

Sobbing with a pained smile, Elena turned in his direction, she reached for him. And sure enough, she felt his large arms circle around her, jolting her a little and causing the pain to flare up. She cried out and he stilled. 

"Careful, Raph. I don't like the looks of her leg. She looks like she has been through the shredder." April's voice spoke up as she quickly approached with a flash light in hand. 

"Why is there a dead snake on her?" Came Michelangelo's voice as he thumped down near Elena, but was obviously keeping his distance so not to scare her. 

Leonardo moved back so that his larger brother could have some room with Elena, looking at the snake that Raphael plucked off of her and toss off to the side. "When I came down here, that was the first thing I noticed about her. It's.....was a rattle snake and it was going to bite her if I didn't kill it." he told him. 

"Raphael......" Elena whimpered in pain as she leaned into her large friend, wincing from the pain in her entire body. 

"Guys, she don't look so good." Vernon said as he leaned closer to look the young girl over with a hiss of sympathy. "She needs a hospital." 

April had knelt down beside Raphael and was carefully examining Elena. She hissed a little when she carefully moved Elena's pant leg and nodded as she looked over at the Turtles. "Her ankle is black. I think it's broken. She's been beaten the shit out of." She frowned, looking seriously at Elena. "Elena, who the hell did this to you?" She asked, her voice hard. 

Elena crying softly as she leaned into Raphael, shook her head as she wiped her blank eyes. "It.....it was my uncle. He had me.....kidnapped from my school." She whimpered before flinching from the pain. "He......he knows that I know about you guys.....he had me......April, he took it from me. I had.....I had the mutangen in my blood. He took it. There was only a small bit. And he took it all. Then he had me beaten.......they must just dropped me down here. I'm so sorry! They have the mutangen formula because of me!" She sobbed. 

"Hey, stop it! It's not your fault, Elena! There was nothing you could do!" Raphael scolded her, before looking at April. "What will happen if we don't get her to the hospital?"

"Infection. She has a lot of open cuts. We need to find out exactly what was done to her. And if she has a broken ankle, she needs it taken care of immediately. Vernon and I will take her. You can't go out. The sun is coming up." April told him before motioning to Vernon, who only hesistated when Raphael tightened his grip around Elena and growled. "We have to get her to a hospital, now! I am surprised she hasn't gone into shock by how damaged she is yet! I swear, we will call you once she has been checked out!" 

Raphael hesistated before relenting. He slowly released her when Vernon moved to pick her up. He tensed when she cried out in weak pain and had to steel himself from reacting. He wanted nothing more than to take her, himself. But that would mean exposing himself. 

At this point, he was almost tempted of just doing it. He didn't care any more. He just wanted Elena to be safe. 

 

April and Vernon rushed Elena to the hospital as soon as they were out of the sewers, leaving four disgruntled turtles to rest for the day. They made sure to be very careful with her because of her injuries. 

And due to the nature of why she had been injured, they had to come up with a good lie. They couldn't expose Vincent Harker like they anted to do. It would just lead one thing to the next and the mutants would be exposed. So they told the doctors that she fell down an open sewer manhole. 

Now they waited for Elena's reports to come in. And quite anxiously. 

It was hours before anyone came to them. 

A doctor approached April and Vernon, looking grim but he nodded when they looked anxiously at them. "Okay. She does have a broken ankle, a minor fracture from her fall. We already have cast on her foot. I will give you a list of what needs to be done about it. But she also has a cracked rib and many bruises." He paused, looking serious. "I am also going to have to inform the police about her condition." 

April stiffened, sharing a tense look with Vernon. "Why?" She asked frowning. 

The doctor looked at both of them grim but obviously not pleased. "I do not know what you are playing at, Miss O'Neal. But she didn't jus fall. There are fist sized bruises all over her body. This girl was beatened. And if I find out that you....." he was saying. 

April held up a hand and stepped closer, looking furiously into his face. "Let me stop you there, sir. We did not do this to her. Someone else did. And by contacting the police, you are putting her in danger." She said coolly. 

"Is that a threat?" The doctor hissed at her, eyes narrowed. 

"No. It is a fact. We know who did this to her. But he is a high established citizen of New York. Anything we try to do to him will come right back to Elena." April said coldly, her dark eyes glaring into the doctor's. "I am her friend! I want her to be safe! That was why we brought her here! I am trying to protect her!" 

The doctor paused, glaring at him before he lowered his voice, glancing around. "It was her uncle, wasn't it?" He nodded slowly, looking at her. "This is not the first time I have had to treat Eleanor Harker, Miss O'Neal. She doesn't know me but I know her. I knew her father. I helped delivery her into this world. And I am fully aware of how it is like with Vincent Harker. The only reason I have never exposed him, myself, is because of his stature." 

Slowly sighing, April nodded, her arms folding around her. "So you know." She said in a low voice. 

The doctor nodded, his eyes heavy lidded. "I am fully aware of that man. He is a man who needs to be locked up but it is too hard because of what he represents." He said quietly. 

"Well, I promise you then, when I can, I will make him pay for what he has done." April said grimly. 

"And when you can, I will be right behind you." The doctor told her before smiling before straightening up. "We have her in room 180 A. We want to keep her for the day, get some fluids in her. She is a little dehydrated and she has lost some blood. But other than that, she will be fine. She will be ready to go home in the morning." 

"Thank you." April said as she motioned to Vernon and they started to go to find Elena. 

As both arrived, April had texted Donatello's computer, giving him the details of Elena's recovery period. She knew that Raphael was probably beating himself up over all of this. He had sworn to protect her and she was hurt badly anyway. She needed to let him know that she would be okay. 

And as she sent the text, Vernon nudged her arm, trying to get her attention. She frowned at him before looking over to where he was pointing. 

A man was hurrying down the hall, looking quite frantic as he approached a nurse station. He was a handsome fellow and it did have April freezing at the looks of him. She noticed his good looks right off. But what had her really freeze was what he said to a nurse. 

"Excuse me! I am looking for Elena Harker's room! Where can I find her?!" The man asked frantically. 

Sharing a glance with Vernon, April moved over to the man. "Excuse me. Are you Casey?" She asked frowning. 

The man turned to her, surprised before his eyebrows raised high and there was an obvious look of impression in his eyes. He liked what he was seeing and it made Vernon groan, shaking his head. 

"Uh.....yeah. And who are you?" Casey asked with only a hint of a smile. 

April held out her hand, which he took. "April O'Neal. You are Elena's friend?" She asked. 

Casey tiffened before putting a stony look on his face as he drew back his hand. "April O'Neal the reporter?" He downturned his lips into a hard line. "You're not doing a story on her, are you? Because if you are......." he asked darkly. 

Immediately April shook her head and held up her hand. "She is my friend. I am not doing a story on her." She motioned to Vernon. "This is my partner and camera man, Vernon. We brought her to the hospital." She told him.

Casey paused before stiffening. "Where was she?" He asked seriously. "Who the hell did this to her?" 

"How did you know she was here?" April instead asked. 

Casey, looking annoyed frowned at her before folding his arms. "I'm on her emergency contact list. The hospital called me." He told her in frustration. "Now answer mine. Where the fuck was she found? Did you have anything to do with her disappearence last night?" 

Both April and Vernon tensed. "How did you......?" She was asking. 

"Look! Answer my god damned question and I will answer yours! Where was she?!" Casey asked almost demanding. 

There was a pause before April sighed and folded her own arms. "We found her in the sewers. No, we did not have anything to do with her disappearence. We spent all night looking for her when she went missing. Now how did you know she went missing?" She asked stonily. 

Casey was quiet for a moment before he shook his head. "Her friend told me. I met him last night, sort of speak. Raphael, was it?" He asked raising an eyebrow. 

April froze, looking at him with her eyes wide. She felt Vernon stiffen beside her. This was not good. "You......you ran into Raphael last night?" She asked uneasily. 

Now it was Casey's turn to stiffen and look at her in disbelief. "You know him?" He asked frowning. He just shook his head when all she did was look uneasy. "He hid in a tree. But I saw him. He probably doesn't even know that I know. What is he?" He narrowed his eyes at her. 

Again, an uneasy glance at Vernon, April turned back to Casey,. "He......he's family. Look, he isn't going to hurt her. What did......did he.......talk to you?" She asked in disbelief. 

"Talked to him first. Heard someone yelling Elena's name. So I went looking. Saw someone up in tree so I asked him. He told me that she went missing. So I started helping to look for her." Casey told her firmly. "Who did this to her? He didn't, did he?" 

April shook her head, still not believing that Raphael hadn't said anything. But then again, everyone had been in a frantic mood when Elena did turn up. So he hadn't had the chance. "No. Raph wouldn't. He is actually really protective over her." She said wearily. 

"So where the hell was he whrn she was taken?" Casey asked firmly. 

"He was outside the building. He can't go inside without people not noticing him." Vernon said in Raphael's defense. 

Casey slowly nodded still looking serious. "So who took her? Why is she in the hospital?" He asked deadly. 

Sharing a glance with each other again, April and Vernon shook their heads before looking back at him. "She said it was her uncle and The Foot Clan. He had her taken from her school and they.....took something from her. After they took it, they dumped her in the sewers to die. We found her." She told him. 

Frowning darkly, Casey slowly nodded. "Always knew that bastard would pull something like this. Elena told me about life with him. Always wnted to kill him for it. What did he take from her?" He asked looking into April's eyes. 

April hesistated before shaking her head when she noticed the doctor from before approaching her, a clipboard in hand. "Not now. Even if we had time, we can't tell you. Not yet. Not until we have talked to Raph and his brothers and father." She told him in a low voice. She leaned closer, wincing. "You won't tell any........" 

Casey huffed a laughed, giving her quite a look, leaning closer to her. "Hon, even if I did tell anyone, who the hell would believe me? No worries. I ain't saying anything. Besides, if that fucker, Vincent Harker did this to Elena, the big guy said he would go after him." He said before turning deadly serious. "And I am gonna be right behind him. No one hurts an innocent blind girl who can't even defend herself without paying for it. I am in with whatever you and your turtle plans to do to Harker and The Foot. And I can guarantee you this, you want my help." He smiled a crooked smile at her, making her draw back a little but had to smile back. "Because I know where some of their hide aways are." 

April drew back more, looking surprised before she turned to the doctor as he approached. She knew it was better to drop it now. "Doctor?" She said, feeling her face heat up only a little from the close proximity of Casey. 

The doctor smiled at her before motioning to the door that read 180 A. "Elena would like to see you, Miss O'Neal. She is a little sedated from pain killers so she will be a little loopy. But she is well coherent." He told her. 

"Thank you." April said before glancing at Casey and Vernon, who did not look pleased at all. He actually looked really annoyed and the look was directed at Casey Jones. "Come on. Let's go see her." She told them before leading the way in to the room. 

Elena was still looking worse for wear but she did look a little better. She was lying in the bed, an IV in her arm and she looked only half awake. She perked up just a little when she heard the door open and she did look nervous. "Hello?" She whispered in a low voice, almost nervous. 

April smiled as she approached the bed. "Hey, Elena. It's me. Vernon is here and so is your friend." She said softly as she took the seat on Elena's left side. 

Casey wandered over and gently placed his hand on her arm, rubbing comforting circles on her skin. "Hey, Elles." He greeted her. 

Elena smiled faintly, her face tilted towards him. "Casey. What....wh-what are you doing here?" She asked sounding tired. 

"I found out what happened, sweetie. I came as fast as I could. Gotta say, you still look like shit. You won the fight though, right?" Casey joked with her, earning a dark look from April but a smile from his hurt friend.

Elena scoffed before she lift her uninjured, free arm and flexed her bicep. "Of course I did. No one can beat my guns." She said before wincing and dropping her arm again. "Ow. I feel weird." She groaned. 

"They have you heavily sedated by pain killers, Elena. You have a broken ankle, bruised ribs, one cracked." April told her softly. 

Elena winced in dull pain before tilting her head towards the reporter. "Where is........? Is he.....?" She cut herself off worriedly. 

"Raphael is home with the others. He was not happy when we found you." Vernon said before wincing when the girl looked guilty. "He isn't pissed at you, kiddo. He is pissed at who did this to you. He and the guys were, are really worried about you." 

"Casey doesn't......." Elena was saying. 

April lightly tapped her arm. "Casey knows about Raphael, Elena." She smiled faintly when the teen stiffened, looking  
surprised. "He ran into Raph while looking for you last night. Raphael probably doesn't know that he knows about him but he is in with us now. We will let him meet them after we talk to Splinter and the guys. He said he wants to back us up."

Elena turned her head towards Casey who smiled faintly and rubbed her arm. "Casey, you.....you know?" She asked weakly. 

"I know about your big green friend. And I won't say anything. You were right. He is different from others. And he does seem all right. He was more worried about looking for you than talking to me when I tried corner him in a tree." Casey told her. 

Elena scowled weakly up at him. "Casey, didn't I......." she was saying. 

Casey laughed as he sank down in the chair next to her. "Yeah, yeah. You asked me not to go bothering him if I found him. But I heard him calling for you in the park. What was I suppose to do? Ignore it? Hah! Not a chance. When I hear some stranger calling my friend's name, you bet I am going to go look and find out what's going. Now, I do want some answers." He even looked up at April, stone serious. "What did that bastard take and why?" He asked firmly. 

There was a long pause of uneasiness before April sighed and glanced at Vernon. She motioned to the door and understanding, he went to the door and peered out before closing it. 

Then April turned back to Casey. "We shouldn't talk about this without Splinter and the turtles knowing. It is their lives that we are talking about." She said firmly. 

"Bullshit. And it was Elena who got hurt. So fucking tell me already. Your pals don't like it, they shouldn't have involved her." Casey said in a hard tone. 

"Casey......" Elena was saying painfully. 

Giving her a sharp look, Casey shook his head. "No, Elena. Don't defend them. Now I said I would stick with them to help you and keep you safe and I said I won't tell anyone about them. But I got to know what the hell is going on. So tell me. What are they? Where did they come from? Why are they giant ass talking turtles, since there seems to more than one than I thought? Start talking. Tell me what the hell is going on!" He demanded. 

Another frustrated sigh, April decided to cave. So she told him everything. She told how they were created, who created them, what they were, how they risked their very lives of protecting the city every night and how they were hunting the Foot Clan and their master. 

And when it came to Elena, it was the young girl who explained her part. Of how she met Raphael, how he saved her multiple times, how he trusted her with his secret. She also told him and the other two what happened the night before. 

"You said this mutangen is in her blood, right? Won't it just develope again? It is apart of her now, right? So it will mutate again in her white blood cells, won't it?" Casey asked frowning. 

April shared a glance with Vernon and then shrugged. "It's possible. She has lived with it for a while now. It might have merged her very DNA. The question is, why didn't she mutate like the turtles did?" She asked shrugging. 

"I don't think I like you talking like I'm not here." Elena grumbled. 

All three looked at her in apology, even they knew she couldn't see it. They knew it wasn't polite and it was getting to her. 

"Sorry, Elena." April said softly. "The one question is what are we going to do about this? Can we even do anything? Eric Sacks was right about the fact tht if we exposed him, Harker anf The Foot Clan, we expose Splinter and the guys. And that would be kind of bad. I can see the Government wanting to get a hold of them and wanting to perform experiments on them. And I am sorry. I am not willing to let that happen. They had enough when they were just babies. Everyone is going to want the mutangen because of what it does. Enhances strength, speed, agility. It would be like a chemical warfare, honestly. It would also mean the turtles being hunted down. And all they want to do is be accepted. Not used or treated like monsters. And that will be how a lot of people will see them." 

"I see your point. I would ask what is wrong with just exposing them just to do away The Foot and Harker but I can see why you wouldn't want to either." Casey said before heaving a sigh and running his hand through his long hair. "All right. Here is what is gonna happen. I get to meet these turtle.guys, we talk about Elena, then we hunt down The Foot, kick Vincent Harker's teeth in before putting him......" he was saying. 

April gave him a dark look, shaking her head slowly. "You are an idiot." She said in annoyance. "What will happen is I will let the Turtles know that you know about them, I will find out if they even want to meet you and then we will see where that goes. As for Vincent Harker, we need to find out why he wanted Elena's mutangen sample and find out what he is doing with it. And when we can, we will expose him and The Foot without exposing my family! Got that?" She asked irritably before looking at Elena, who was listening with a cringe. "Elena, as soonas you are able to leave the hospital, we will take you home." 

"Wh-what about Raphael? Is he.....is he okay?" Elena asked uneasily. 

April grimaced but smiled. "He was pretty upset. He wanted to be here for you but you know, he knows he can't. I am pretty sure he is.going to find a way to sneaking in here without getting caught later tonight." She said rolling her eyes but smiling. "In the mean time, you just need to rest. I have a few things I got to do right now. But I promise you, I will be back." She looked back at Casey. "Will you.....?" 

Casey nodded, knowing that she was going to ask what he thought he would. "I ain't leaving her unguarded. Not for a second. I will be here when you get back." He promised. 

April nodded before standing up and grabbing Vernon's arm to drag him along. "Get some rest, Elena. You really need it." She told her young friend. 

Smiling, Elena nodded before she relaxed, feeling Casey rubbingnher arm comfortingly. She closed her darkened eyes and drifted off a few moments later, still quite exhausted from all of the excitement she had been in. She just hoped that Raphael would actually be okay and she couldn't wait til she was able to see him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True Facts: Snakes can be found in New York sewers. There have been some cases where rattle snakes have been found in the sewers, as well as simple corn snakes, garden snakes, and such. Just in case you were wondering and trying to figure out why the shell I put a snake in this chapter out of the blue. It was gonna be rats but I don't want Elena tramatized so she would end up being afraid of Splinter because of her experience. So it became a snake. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. More to come soon.


	12. Chapter Twelve

When April and Vernon returned to the sewers, they had been expecting to be accosted by Raphael. They saw him coming, looking worried and it was obvious he had been up all morning, thinking about Elena. He did look tired but he was more worried than tired. 

"How is she? Is she all right?" Raphael immediately asked, his three fingered hands on April's shoulders. 

April reached up and gently touched his wrists, nodding with a forced smile. She knew how worried he was. She could see it. But......to know that some complete stranger knew about him now, she couldn't help but feel a little scornful towards him. Though, she hid it well for a moment. "Elena is fine. She does have a broken ankle and a fractured rib. She has been through hell. But she is recovering." She told him. 

Raphael slumped in relief, his hands falling down at his sides. He had been so worried about Elena. He didn't know what he would have done if she had.....

"My heart warms to know that Elena is alive." Splinter spoke up as he approached with the other Turtles. 

April grimaced as she looked over at him, then back up at Raphael. While she wished that she could just ignore the more tense part, she couldn't. "Raphael, why didn't you tell us that you ran into Casey Jones last night?" She asked softly. 

And as expected, everyone tensed up in the sewer. The other brothers looked wide eyed at Raphael, who tensed himself. 

"What?! Raph!" Leonardo exclaimed his hands throwing up in the air. 

Raphael's head dipped low before he shrugged. "I didn't see a problem. He is Elena's friend. And it isn't like he saw me......" he was saying. 

Both April and Vernon grimaced, shaking their heads. "Trust me, big guy. He saw you. He knows. He told us when we ran into him at the hosptial." The camera man told him. 

With accusing look at Raphael, Leonardo slowly shook his head angrily. He couldn't believe this. All of these sudden changes in so little time, all because of Raphael. He knew it had been Raphael that drew April to hem in the first place. She had even said so. Then bringing Elena in. And now some complete stranger. "Raph......" he growled. 

However, Splinter flicked his tail between both brothers, stopping from the inevitable fight from coming, his attention on April. "What did Casey Jones say, April O'Neal?" He asked seriously. 

Shrugging, April shook her head at the same time. "He said he doesn't care about Raphael or the turtles. He won't tell anyone and I think it's because of Elena. He seems to are about her enough to promise us that he will keep his mouth shut about them. He kind of made it clear that any friend of Elena's is a friend of his. He does want to meet all of you. Plus he wants in with taking down The Foot and Vincent Harker. He is pissed that Harker would dare to hurt her." She explained. "I.......I think we can trust him. He seems to be serious about protecting Elena. Enough to admit that he likes Raphael for being her friend. He didn't say that exactly but it was obvious by the way he was acting. He also said he would totally back him up if he went after The Foot. So, I think.for Elena's sake, we can trust this Casey Jones guy." 

Slowly, Splinter nodded as he.folded his claws together. He didn't like all of the sudden changes any more than Leonardo did. But he didn't get a bad feeling from it. "When you bring Elena Harker back down here, April O'Neal, bring this Casey Jones as well. I would like to meet him." He told her. 

"Master Splinter, I don't like this." Leonardo had to say. And no one blamed him. Not even Raphael, if he had to be honest. 

Splinter nodded as he looked at his son. "I do not like it either, Leonardo. But I think we must try and trust this Casey Jones. Especially if he wants to help Elena Harker. We must meet him and make sure if he is trustworthy and we must do.so by showing him trust. For how can he trust us if we do not show a little trust in return?" He asked and everyone saw his point. 

So slowly everyone nodded and agreed. They would give Casey a chance, while keeping an eye on him. 

"Well, Vern and I are going to go back later tonight to check up on her. She is to stay the night at the hospital. But I will be taking her home in the morning. I do need to stop by her apartment and pick her up some clothes. I think I am going to talk her into moving in with me though. She can't be alone. Not with Vincent Harker having tried to kill her." April said before pointing at Raphael. "And don't even think about going after him yet, Raph. None of you. I want to see if I can't do something about him legally." 

Raphael growled but nodded. He, instead, turned to Splinter, faising his shoulders up. "Actually, there is something I wanted to ask you before this happened. And because it did, I think it might be smart." He said before straightening. "Master Splinter, I would like permission to teach Elena Ninjitsu." 

Everyone gaped at him in surprise. They had not been prepared for that one at all. But it did make Donatello and Leonardo straighten as they glanced at one another, dawning in their eyes. 

"Are you crazy, big guy? Elena is blind. She can't fight." Vernon said bewildered. 

Raphael looked at him, annoyed. "She can if I teach her. And I know she could do it. There's blind guys in your world who can fight. I looked it up. I can't be there all the time to defend her when she gets attacked. Last night kinda proved that. But if I show her how to defend herself, maybe she can." He turned back to Splinter. "Please, dad. Let me show her. And maybe Donny can help." He motioned to the nerd Turtle in the room, who straightened. "She has a blind stick. Bostaff! If she can defend herself, she's gotta have a bostaff." 

Slowly, Splinter nodded as he thought about it. He saw Raphael's point. "Very well, my son. When Elena Harker is well again, you may teach her how to defend herself. I think I will assist you and her, myself. While I believe you want to help, you must have patience for her. That is one virtue you lack. So I will assist you in teaching Elena Harker." He told his largest son. 

Raphael grinned as he looked over at Donatello, who shrugged as if he knew what was being asked of him. "Sure, I will help if it's okay with Master Splinter. I will even see if I can construct a new blind stick for Elena. One that won't break so easily and she can use like a bostaff once she is ready to use it." The purple garbed Turtle said. 

"Okay, if you guys are.serious about turning into a blind ninja, it is still up to her, you know?" April pointed out. 

Raphael shrugged as.he sent the grin towards her. "She already told me she'd like to learn. I kind of showed her how to be aware of her surroundings before I brought her down to meet all of you. With some tuning, I really believe she can do it." He stated. He then grew serious as he looked at April. "I want to see her. Anyway I can come tonight?" 

April grimaced bit shook her head. "Probably not. Her hospital room is kind of small and it would be hard sneaking you through the window. Not without someone noticing." She frowned softly when he deflated a little. "Tell you what, Raph. When I go back tonight to check on her, you can talk to her through my phone. You can be on the neighboring roof top, looking into her window at her. She can see.....well, not exactly see you. But she will know you're there. And you can see her. I promise." She told him gently. 

Smiling, Raphael nodded. He liked that idea even if he would have liked it more being in the same room as her. 

"We will set up a rotation shift as well. Now that The Foot and her uncle knows she knows about us, she will need to be guarded." Leonardo spoke his piece. "And we need to keep an eye on this Vincent guy. Especially since he is dealing with The Foot. If what Sacks said was true, I am betting my own shell that Shredder might be with him. We need to find out." 

Everyone nodded in agreement. They did need to know. If what Eric Sacks had said was true, Vincent Harker was where Shredder would be. 

"Casey Jones also claimed to know where some Foot hide puts were." Vernon said his arms folded. "He might be useful in that area too. He can probably show you where to find some Foot guys and find out where Shredder might be." 

"It is a good possibility we can end this with The Foot soon, all because of Elena. If she hadn't come around we wouldn't have all of these connecting pieces of the puzzle." April said smiling. "She just might be the down fall of The Foot we need.' 

Again, everyone agreed on that. If Elena hadn't come along into Raphael's life, they would probably still be scouring the entire city trying to find The Foot. Because of her new involvement, pieces were falling into place. 

"Okay, we need to get started on all of this. Vernon and I are going to go to Elena's, get her some clothes, talk her into moving in with me and then bring her here with Casey Jones." April added. "Once we are all together, we will come up with a battle plan about what to do in the future." 

Again, everyone agreed. 

TMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNTTMNT

Elena woke with a start. She knew why she had. It hadn't been the door opening or the quiet voices that spoke. 

It had been the nightmare she was forced to relive almost every night. She dreampt of fire and the cries of her parents. She dreamed of the labs that haunted her past. She also dreamed of something different. 

Elena had dreamed of more fire. But it wasn't just fire that burned her parents into ashes. She dreamed of the Turtles, of Raphael and his brothers. They were hurt badly. She remembered it all too well and it left her sobbing. She dreamed of her uncle having caught the Turtles and their father, Splinter. He had drained them of their blood and as they had laid in pools of blood, he lit them all fire. 

Right before her, where she watched them. 

She remembered crying, screaming, reaching for Raphael. Begging her uncle to stop hurting her friends. She had heard his laughter and the laughter of someone more evil. Shredder. 

So therefore, she awoke to herself crying and screaming softly and to hands touching her shoulders. 

"Elles, it's okay. You're safe. It's me, Casey." She heard her long time friend. 

Panting and sobbing, Elena did struggle against his hands. She was terrified, nonetheless. "The........tur....Raphael....his brothers......they're hurt.....I have to......" she was gasping. 

Casey kept a firm hold on Elena, trying to be as careful as he could with her. He did feel slightly annoyed that she seemed to be worried more about those Turtles than her own self. She was the one who got hurt, not them. But.....whatever she saw in her dreams must have been bad. "They are okay, Elles. I am sure they are fine....." he was saying. 

"What is going on here?" 

Casey looked up yo see a nurse and April and Vernon coming in, looking suspicious. But he shook his head as he kept a hold of Elena. "She had a nightmare. I am just trying to calm her down and keep her from hurting herself." He told them quickly. He turned his attention back onto the struggling girl. "It's okay, Elena. Your pets are okay. April went to check on them." He sent a pointed look at the reporter. 

Straightening in understanding, April hurried over and gently helped Casey hold Elena down. "Elena, it's okay! They are fine! I just came back from checking on them. And Raph wants to talk to you." She said quickly. 

That settled Elena down immediately as she turned in towards her friend's direction, breathing hard. "He's not......." she was saying worriedly. 

"No, he isn't here. He couldn't come. But we are going to call him. But you need to calm down first. Okay, sweetie?" April said soothingly.

Elena remained.still now and she stayed that way when she was released. She was still breathing rapidly bit she was slowly relaxing. She wanted to talk to Raphael. She needed to hear his voice. She needed to know that he was okay. 

Glancing at the nurse, who understood and left, April pulled out her phone while motioning Vernon to the door. She waited until the door was closed before dialing and putting it on speaker phone. 

"Donatello, here. April?" Came the voice of the intelligent brother. 

"Hey, Donny. Is Raphael there?" April asked looking out the window across to the next building and sure enough she saw all four of them crouching there, looking towards the window where she was at. She barely saw them but Michaelangleo waved to her to get to her attention. 

"Yeah, hold on. Raph." Donatello spoke. 

And the big one moved over to his brother. 

"April, is she.....?" Raphael spoke up. 

Elena smiled as she turned her head towards April and her phone. "He-hey, Raph." She said sounding tired but happy. 

"Hey. How are you feeling? Though that is a stupid question to ask, huh?" Raphael asked sounding relieved. 

Elena smiled but shook her head as if he could see her, though she was unaware that he could. "No. It's not. I am okay. I feel much better now that I can hear you." Her face fell a little in pain and sorrow. "I.....I am sorry, Raphael. I.....I let myself get taken.......and now.....my unvle has the mutangen. He said he was going to use it to help Shredder. It's all my fault." She whimpered. 

"Hey, don't talk like that. It isn't your fault. You didn't know he would come after you like that. It's my fault that I didn't keep my promise. I promised you I would protect you and look what happened. You still got hurt. I should have been there." Raphael said grimly. 

Elena sighed, tears filling her eyes. "Raphael, he told me even if I didn't know about you and your brothers, he still would have come for me. I was his test subject for years. He wanted to hurt me no matter what. He had never liked me. He would have tried this a long time ago. So it wasn't your fault at all. If I just......would have remembered how dangerous he could......." she was saying. 

"Okay, Elles. Who cares who's fault it is?" Casey suddenly spoke up as he apptoached the window anf looked out until he saw the sillouettes of the Turtles. "Hey, Big guy. Remember me?" 

There was a pause before Raphael grunted. "Casey Jones." He muttered moodily. 

Casey nodded as he looked at the shadows of the turtles. "Look, I am not happy Elena got involved in this but it was probably something none of your or I could even avoid. Like it or not, this whole shit didn't start with you. It started with her. Whether we like it or not, Harker would have came after her with or without you watching over her. Difference is, she now has some big green guardian looking after her. And you can damn well be sure I am going to help out. We are gonna make this S.O.B pay for what he did. Now aren't we?" 

Raphael made an amused sound but it was Leonardo was the one who spoke. 

"This isn't about revenge. Remember what Master Splinter says, Raph. Revenge is a dark path we cannot follow. Elena," the calm one of the brothers. "I am sorry you got mixed up this and you re the one who had to suffer. But you understand, right?" He was growled at by Raphael. 

But Elena nodded immediately, looking worried. "No, he's right, Raph, Casey. You can't take revenge on my uncle. It will just mean sinking down to his level. You are better than that. So much better." She said, her voice painfully tight. "I understand where Leo is going with this, Raph. And he is right. And you know it. Revenge solves nothing but causes more problems. Promise me, Raphael. Casey. Please. Don't try and take revenge for me. Don't sink to his level." 

There was a pause before Raphael groaned and it sounded like he might have shoved Leonardo in a moody way. "Great. Now ya got her going against me." He muttered but what kept Elena from flinching was the playful tone he used. "All right. I promise I won't go looking for revenge, Elena." He said directly to her through the phone. And Elena sighed in relief, only a little too soon. "Didn't say anything about serving a little justice, though." He added with a dark amused tone. 

Elena groaned and everyone either chuckled or rolled their eyes in amusement. "Raphael." She moaned pitifully but it only made everyone snicker. 

"Hey, Elena. When ya get out of there and you start feeling better, I am gonna do what I said I would. I'm gonna teach you Ninjutsu. I got permish from my dad. He's gonna help. You will know how to defend yourself sooner or later, that way if anything like this happens again, you'll be kicking some serious butt." Rapharl said highly amused. 

Elena felt her face flush but she smiled brightly. "Raph, I still don't know how that will help at all. What good will it do when I am blind?" She asked warily but there was a tinge of happiness in her tone. 

"Ya caught the bug, didn't ya?" Raphael asked, a grin in his tone. 

"No, that was you controlling my hand to catch that fly." Elena remarked right back, smiling more openly. 

"So? You have some good reflexes and I know you can do it. Look at me. I a so six foot tall, talking mutant turtle. And I can kick serious bad guy butt. Why can't you do it?" Raphael asked her in amusement. "Just give it a shot, Elena. I know ya can do it." 

Sighing but smiling, Elena nodded. "Okay." She said wearily. 

"We got to get going soon. Raph is gonna stick around for the first shift, Elena. So you can talk some more. After what happened last night, we are not letting you out of our sight. If The Foot wants to try and use you as bait against us, we're not going to put up with it." Leonardo stated finally. "They come after you again, we will be ready. Casey Jones, in the morning, we want to meet you, face to face. Master Splinter wants to meet you. April and Vernon will bring you home tomorrow. But don't be surprised if you ended up blind folded. We don't know you yet." 

"Nah, I get it. Instead of bringing me down where ever you live, meet me in Central Park later. Maybe around 3. Ya ever see Home Alone 2?" Casey asked. 

"Er....." 

"Maaaaan, that movie is the shizness! I love that movie! Especially where the kid sets up traps and all!" Came Michelangelo's voice. 

"Shut up, Mikey." All three older brothers remarked. 

"Yeah, we saw that movie when Donatello down loaded it on his computer last winter. Why?" Leonardo asked suspiciously. 

"Meet me at the bridge. We can talk there." Casey told him. 

"No way. That would be a perfect place for an ambush from The Foot. You can come down to where we live or we call this whole thing off. We don't know you, Casey. I am sorry but we don't. We're putting trust in you by taking you to our place. But we don't trust you enough to meet you somewhere. And we will not risk our sensei just to meet you." Leonardo said firmly. "Master Splinter wants to meet you too but you will do it on our terms." 

April and Vernon sighed, glancing at one another. They knew this wasn't going so well. Even Elena was grimacing as she listened. 

But slowly, Casey nodded, his hands thrown up in the air. He seemed to get it and would play it safe. "All right. Fine. We will do it your way. The sewers, it is." There was a brief moment of surprised silence. "Oh, please, give me some credit. I might not be the brightest person but I'm not stupid. Where else is four talking turtles and a large rat gonna hide in New York? A place where no one is going to notice you." He stated.

"Okay, point taken. In the morning, April, when they release Elena, bring them both down. Master wants to see her too. He was pretty worried." Leonardo said through the phone. 

April nodded as she looked across the way at the neighboring building. "Okay. You guys be careful. And remember, stay away from Harker." She said firmly. 

"No worries. We're not going to mess with Vincent Harker, sweetheart." Michelangelo spoke up. "We're just gonna check out his crib and see how much Foot activity is going on there. Bai!" 

And the connection ended. 

April made a sound of aggravation as she hung up her phone, her eyes rolling. "Damn it. Why don't they ever listen?" She groaned sliding her phone away. 

"Well, ya got one thing right." Casey spoke up in amusement. "They are teenagers." 

And even April and Vernon laughed softly while Elena scowled while muttering something about how she did too listen. But Casey retorted saying she did not. 

But it was right at that moment, the door opened to the room and a nervous nurse was entering. "Uh, excuse me. I am sorry to bother you but, Miss Harker. Your uncle is here to see you." She said looking at the hurt girl. 

Everyone stiffened at that bit of news and Elena cowered deep in her hospital bed, fear rippling in her blank eyes.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Elena cringed deeper into her bed, her face etched in fear as she drew her sheets closer to her chin. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. She did not want to see her uncle, or rather did not want him to see her. He was the reason why she was there in the first place. He was probably there to find out how she was even still alive after he dumped her in the sewers. She didn't know what to say about it.

But it was Casey who did. 

Stone faced, he lift his head and headed straight for the door, his fists balled up. He yanked his arm free when April went to cach him and continued on. He even ignored her when she cursed and quickly followed after him, asking Vern to stay with Elena. 

The moment that both left the room, they saw Him walking towards the room with what looked like body guards. They were not fooled by the looks of concern on Vincent Harker's face. 

And as he tried to brush by them to go into the room, April shut the door while Casey blocked him. 

"Uh, excuse me. I am trying to go see my......" Vincent Harker was saying with a hint of annoyance. He didn't know who these two were but he knew they were trying to keep him away from his niece. 

"No." April immediately interrupted her arms folded. "I am sorry, Mister Harker but Elena doesn't want to see you for obvious reasons." 

Harker looked taken a back before he scowled and glared at her. "Who do you think you......?" He was asking in anger. 

"April O'Neal, Mister Harker. And I am Elena's friend. And I am not going to let you go near her after what you did." April grounded firmly as she and Casey stood shoulder to shoulder. "I know what you did, Harker. And if you think for one second that I will let you go near her......" 

Harker's eyes flashed at her name and he glared viciously at her. "You do not have.the right to keep me from her, Miss O'Neal. I am here to see her and if you do not move, I will call the police and force......" he was saying again. 

"Call them then, mother fucker." Casey hissed, stepping forward until he was nearly nose to nose to Vincent Harker. "I am sure they would love to get Elena's statement about why April O'Neal found her in the sewers, beaten to every inch of her life, left to die." He growled, sizing Harker and his now growing tense body guards up. 

"What is going on here?" 

Everyone turned to see the one doctor that had worked on saving Elena's life. He was approaching them with security in toll. Obviously a nurse had called when she saw the confrontation. 

"Doctor, these people are trying to keep me from seeing my......" Vincent Harker was saying. 

The doctor took one look at the billionaire doctor and grew stern. "Mister Harker, I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave." He remained firm when Harker looked surprised and angry. "I am the doctor who treated Eleanor Harker and I can guarantee you that I am in charge of her recovery. And before you sprout out about how you have a right to see your relative, you do not. Miss Harker is of age to make her own choices. And if she chooses not to see you, that is her right." 

Harker looked livid. "This is ridiculous! I will pursue a law suit for you keeping my niece from me!" He snapped angrily. 

The doctor stepped closer, his arms folded across his chest and he leveled eyes with the rich man. "Mister Harker, I do not know what you are playing at but I am fully aware of your involvement in the mistreatment of Eleanor." He spoke his voice hard. "I am not stupid, sir. And if you think for one second that you are going near my patient, you have another thing coming. Now please leave or I will have to alert the authorities and have them escort you out." 

Harker glared at him before he shook his head. "Expect a call from the head of this hospital, Doctor. I wil have your job ended soon enough." He turned to April and Casey, glaring at them next. "As for you two, the same. I don't know what your getting at or who you think you are but........" 

"You know exactly who I am and who I am playing for, Mister Harker. And I will deliver this message to you." April hissed back. "The minute you hurt her was the minute their eyes targeted you. And if you come after her again, they will stop you. Elena is now under their protection and I can guarantee you, the second you screw up, they and I will all over you. Just like what happened to Eric." She leaned closer to him, her eyes narrowing at him. "And he is the one who put you in our cross hairs. So if you have a problem, take it up with him. But come near her again, I can't and I won't stop the big one." She said warningly. 

Harker glared at her but he slowly backed away. "This isn't over, Miss O'Neal. You will be hearing from my lawyers." He said and there was a double edged warning there. He probably meant she would be hearing from The Foot or his own goons. 

"I am not afraid of them, Harker. After all, I am a serious reporter, remember?" April said not shaken to the least. She even gave him a daring look. "Now leave Elena alone. If you don't, I'll make sure the city of New York finds out what you re really like." 

"You have nothing on me, Miss O'Neal. I am an outstanding citizen of this city. What are you? A simple little reporter who reports lame news like bake sales." Harker ground darkly as he started to turn away. 

"I might not have anything yet to show who you really are, Harker. But I will. And that is a promise." Pril said darkly right back. 

With a vicious glare at her, Vincent Harker turned away with his bodyguards. He muttered something to them and they nodded, sending April dark looks from over their shoulders. It was obvious of what he told them. And she dared them to come after her. She knew fully well that if they did, she would be protected. So would Elena. 

"You know you just put a target on your back, don' ya?" Casey muttered, leaning towards her. 

April shrugged, but not looking worried as she dropped her arms to her sides. "I guess it's a good thing that my back is watched and protected, now isn't it?" She muttered back before thanking the doctor and she and Casey went back into the room. 

Only to find a grimacing Vernon sitting on the bed, the window open and Elena was no where to be seen. 

"Where the hell is Elena?" Casey asked bewildered but on high alert. 

Vernon grimaced guiltily before throwing his thumb over his shoulder. "Big guy. Said he was taking her home. He didn't like hearing that her uncle stopped by. It was either letting her go with him or he was gonna bust down that door and scare the bejeezus outta the a-hole." He stated. 

April made a disgusted sound before sighing and closing the door. "All right. I am going to go get her release papers signed and inform the doctor she wanted to go home. He is going to ask questions but this is the only way of doing it without raising suspicion. Vern, you and Casey meet me down on the first floor. We'll go to Elena's and see if that was whre Raph took her. And if not, there is only one other place he would take her. I'll call Donny and let him know what happened. Hopefully Leo doesn't flip his shell after this. Though that is asking too much right now." She muttered before leaving the room to get things done. 

She was definitely going to give Raphael an earful over this one. And so would Leonardo and Splinter would probably back her up. 

Nonetheless, Elena was going to have to be watched very carefully from now on. Her very life counted on it.


End file.
